The Saga Reborn: The Tragedy of Anakin Skywalker the Chosen One
by Transformers g1's-Prime
Summary: (Collaboration with StormEyeDragon): "For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire." This is the story of a tyrant born from the sins and sorrows of his past life. This is the Tragedy of Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One. (Prequel Trilogy AU)
1. Encroaching Shadows

Note: Hello there! I'm Transformers g1's-Prime, and I'm happy to welcome you to the story "The Saga Reborn - The Tragedy of Anakin Skywalker the Chosen" v2. I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to StormEyeDragon for letting me help him/her work on this. I am honored by this, and hope that I won't disappoint you.

And here's the disclaimer. I do not own anything that is officially part of Star Wars, Legends or Canon. I do not claim ownership of any of the property of Lucasfilm, Disney, or any published authors. I am not making any money from this story.

Anyways, on with the show!

* * *

Encroaching Shadows

* * *

33 Years Before the Battle of Yavin - The Separatist Crisis is building…

1 Year Before the Invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation

* * *

The yellow-orange sun illuminated the jungles of Doyavu as it hung low in the evening sky. A spring gurgled from the base of a mountain, trickling into a small pool before spilling over a lip of rock on its way downhill and disappearing into the jungle. Small reptiles bathed in the fading sunlight as they lay on heated stones and sipped from the spring.

Jedi Knight Alek Barramere felt all of it as he sat at the edge of a clearing, the spring to his left. His eyes were closed, but he didn't need them to experience the beauty around him. The very Force around him teemed with sensations, fueled by the very life in the primal jungles of this unsettled Outer Rim world. It was so far removed from the way the Force felt on Coruscant, how it felt as he completed his duties in the Temple…

A voice behind him interrupted his musings. "Master?"

Speaking of his duties…

Alek opened his eyes. "Ah, yes. Vozani. What do you need, my Padawan?"

His Rodian Padawan stared at him for a brief moment as he turned to face her.

She gathered her breath, looking as if she had just stopped running. "I've... completed the Form Five exercises that you prepared for me." Her expression shifted from exertion to anticipation. "Is there anything else?" She asked, her voice sounding eager. "I am willing to practice another set if you have one for me."

Alek shook his head. "No, no, no. That is enough blade work for today. Go meditate, perhaps in the center of camp." He paused. "Just not in the ship please." She needed to get a feel for meditating when surrounded by non-sentient life. Meditating with access to the teaching holos on the ship's computer would ruin the experience, at least in his view. He would have suggested to meditate in the clearing where he was, but it was getting late, and Doyavu had several nocturnal predators that he'd rather not deal with yet.

Their camp, along with their ship, was in a similar clearing several kilometers downhill. Not unbearably far, but enough that Vozani didn't look thrilled to travel the distance again so soon. Not after just running it to come and tell him that she had completed the blade training that he had prepared for her.

Vozani held his gaze for a fleeting moment, her large, dark Rodian eyes meeting his pale blue human eyes. She seemed conflicted about something. Perhaps she was considering what he had said?

Her gaze hardened. "With all due respect, Master, no. I think that I need to improve my blade work." Her tone was polite, but tense.

Alek suppressed the urge to scoff. It never paid to openly dismiss your Padawan's thoughts after all, even if they seemed slightly aggressive. There was always a better way to deal with negative emotions. After pausing a moment to collect his thoughts, he responded.

"Alright, but why do you feel that way? Please tell me." He tried to emulate the tone of voice his Master had used only a couple of years prior.

Vozani blinked. "I just … feel that I need to get stronger, Master." Her speech started getting faster, and her eyes widened. "I can feel it every time I meditate. Something just tells me that danger is coming and—"

"Padawan." Alek's voice was firm. Fear, on the other hand, needed to be stopped. Smiling, he stood and faced her. "Vozani." His eyes held compassion, and he let his tone grow gentle. "Do not let fear of danger cloud your meditations. You need to let go of your fear. It will only lead to darkness and death." The teachings of the Temple rolled off his tongue, but felt a little hollow. He needed to be a good teacher, and assuring his student she had nothing to fear was what a good Jedi did, right? He felt that he should say something more, but didn't know what to say. She sensed his hesitation, and made use of it.

"Master, the Force itself is telling me that there is danger. Surely the teachings of the Temple, of the Jedi, do not tell me to ignore the Force?" Her tone was respectful, but demanded answers. Answers that she very much deserved, but ones he did not have.

"Vozani. Think on this for a moment. The Jedi have no enemies to fear at the moment." That wasn't necessarily true, but he pushed that thought aside and continued. "The Sith have been gone for centuries. The galaxy is, err, mostly at peace."

Vozani looked into his eyes, her face tightening in a Rodian expression of disbelief. "But surely the Force is right that danger is coming, right?" Her voiced carried hints of agitation.

Alek sighed. "Walk with me, Padawan." Without another word, he turned and began striding along the path through the jungle back to their camp. He heard Vozani turn and walk after him, matching her pace with his.

"Search our surroundings, my young Padawan." He slowed his gait, and turned to look at her. "There is no danger here, only life, and the Force."

Vozani looked right at him, frustration now creeping into her voice. "But the Force is telling me that danger is coming. Can't you feel it?" She stopped and stared at him, her arms crossed.

Alek suppressed a groan. "Just drop it okay? Let's just get back to camp and call it a night." He thought for a moment. "Tell you what. I'll have more exercises ready for you in the morning if it makes you feel better." He paused, waiting for her reaction to his offer.

She grinned, the tension dropping from her stance. "That sounds good to me." She turned away from him, and started jogging back to their camp, her footsteps kicking up loose dirt as she maneuvered through the plant life.

Alek grinned. Maybe being a teacher wouldn't be so bad after all. He had had his doubts about his ability to teach a combat-oriented pupil, but the Council had assigned her as his Padawan, so that had been that. At least they had granted him this first training mission rather than sending the pair of them into a disaster zone right off the bat. He wasn't a very combative Jedi, so sticking him with an aggressive Padawan would not have been helpful if he had say, been sent to deal with the border disputes in the Outer Rim.

Alek looked to the sky, and noticed that the clouds were starting to show hints of the coming sunset. He picked up his pace. It wasn't quite the jog that his Padawan had used, but it was more than the slow, methodical plodding that he had just been at. He immersed himself in the fading light of evening, and grew happy as the Force responded with echoes of life. He felt something then, a touch of cold. A touch of darkness. It vanished as quickly as it had come.

He brushed it off. This training mission was going well. Nothing would ruin it. And there was no danger here. He increased his pace again, racing the light of the setting sun as he tried to make it back to camp before dark. He needed to complete the training holo for Vozani before all of the light was gone, after all.

* * *

Dawn filled the sky with color, the sun appearing red on the horizon as the sky shifted to a light blue. The clouds still held some of the darkness of night, but the sun slowly banished the darkness leaving only shadows beneath the canopy of the jungle below.

Alek rolled out of his cot, joints popping as he stood. A lovely day indeed. The Force reverberated with the feeling of morning, all the creatures around the area preparing for the day.

"Up!" he called. "C'mon, Padawan. It's a brand-new day!" His voice brimmed with amusement.

Vozani appeared quickly enough, fully dressed, but rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "Yes, yes. I know. It's your turn to make breakfast though."

Alek grinned, mischief creeping onto his face. "Oh, come now," he said in mock seriousness. "You are the Padawan. It's part of your training to make all the meals."

The glare that she gave him could have melted durasteel.

Alek raised his hands. "Alright, alright. I'll cook the meal." He grinned. "How do you like your caf again?"

Vozani's expression shifted back to a more neutral face. "Plain. You make it taste horrible any other way."

Alek focused for a moment, and pulled the caf mix over to himself. "Well then. I can do that." He lowered his voice. "I still say that it tastes great when I do it." Shrugging, he started the cookpot, and opened the caf mix. Today would be a long day.

* * *

Out in the darkness of the void, a ship dropped soundlessly from hyperspace. Its sharp front pointed like a dagger at Doyavu, which filled most of the viewscreen of the cockpit inside. A hooded figure sat in the pilot's seat, staring at the display before it.

After a moment of motionless observation, the figure began to move. The figure lifted an arm and pressed a button, eyes searching a display on the screens before him. The screen pinged once, placing a blip on the image of one of the continents on the surface below.

With his target now in sight, the figure piloted the craft down towards the planet below, and the ship slid silently into the atmosphere.

* * *

Master and Padawan made their way to the distant clearing. The overall setting of the clearing was much the same as yesterday. The spring still gurgled, the reptiles and other small animals scurried about in the sunlight. The only difference the position of the sun. Its light grew stronger as the morning dragged on.

When they arrived, Alek handed Vozani a holo-recording. She nodded, and began to walk towards the center of the clearing. He watched as she settled into the first stance, and pulled out her lightsaber handle.

Vozani took a breath, and willed the blade into existence. The bright blue blade burst from the hilt, matching both the color of the sky. As always, she felt the currents of the Force churn around the weapon, like it was telling her to move the blade. She grinned.

Satisfied that she was doing well, Alek turned and walked along the tree line and stopped near the spring that he had found the day before. Taking his seat at the edge of the clearing, Alek once again lost himself in the Force around him. He embraced the warmth of the jungle morning.

Vozani swiftly and surely moved through the forms that the holo displayed for her. It was obvious to her that her Master was uncomfortable with his blade. It showed in the way he stood, how he performed each form. That didn't really matter to her though. She knew enough to guess how the form should actually look. Form Five wasn't that difficult for her. Its aggressive style suited her.

Eventually she lost herself in the training. She let the currents guide her blade, let them focus her movements. Then she felt it. The Force was screaming at her! _Darkness, danger, death, shadow, enemy!_ Vozani stumbled, and deactivated her lightsaber. She started gasping for breath, willing her heartbeat to steady.

For the briefest moment, Alek felt it too. He shivered, and stopped his meditation. Noticing Vozani's state, he rushed over to her.

"Vozani!" he called desperately. "Are you alright?" His normally voice was now colored with concern. He stood over her as she recovered.

Vozani slowly lowered her heart rate, remembering the techniques that she had been taught as a youngling. "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace." Which wasn't entirely true, she knew, positive emotions like compassion kept the Jedi sane. But the mantra did its job well enough. She was calm, everything would be fine.

Then she heard a strange noise. Alek noticed it as well. A shadow hung in the sky over their heads. The pair looked up as a strange ship hovered above the clearing, and a ramp opened. A hooded figure dropped several meters, and stared at them.

Alek stared in confusion as he tried to keep the fear out of his mind. The Force seemed awash with danger as the figure approached. Alek called out to the figure. "You there, what do you want?"

The figure did not stop or respond. It simply pulled a long, double-bladed metal spear off of its back and charged towards them. Its speed seemed unnatural.

Alek drew his lightsaber and ignited it, the emerald-colored blade springing to life with a hiss. This would surely stop the assailant. While the Jedi were hardly universally adored, the sight of the legendary nigh-unblockable sword usually gave all but the most aggressive foes a reason to pause.

But the figure didn't stop. In fact, the sight of the galaxy-renowned weapon only seemed to spur them forwards. It was at that moment that Alek realized that something was truly wrong here.

The figure would be on them in less than ten seconds at this rate. Alek turned briefly to Vozani. "Stay behind me," he ordered. "And be prepared to flee back to the ship if I, actually, just go now!" With that, he assumed a generic Form One defense stance. With a brief nod, Vozani turned away from him and fled towards the ship. The figure raised an arm, and Vozani stumbled to the ground.

Alek's blood turned to ice as the figure lunged at him. 'A force user!' he thought. He attempted to slice the attacker's weapon apart, although he had a sneaking suspicion…

His suspicion was confirmed when his blade bounced off of the figure's weapon with an unearthly squeal. Cortosis. His lightsaber blade would be hard pressed to affect the weapon.

The figure spun, giving him no further time for thought. Even when immersing himself in the Force to fight, Alek was hard pressed to match the speed of his assailant.

They clashed blades for several seconds, giving Vozani the chance to escape into the jungle.

The figure paused to note her path, and Alek took the opening to jump back and send a large Force Push at the attacker. However, the figure was not as distracted as it looked, and braced itself, so that only its hood was knocked away.

Alek got a brief look at its face. It looked like a red skinned male Zabrak. That was all he noticed before the attacker lept at him with speed surpassing anything that he had revealed so far.

The attacker shoved his left arm towards Alek, and Alek's backwards jump turned into a rapid flight into a tree that ended with a sickening crunch. Alek felt his ribs and spine crack, pain coursing through his torso as his lightsaber fell from his numb hand. Not that it mattered. Shortly after, the spear the Zabrak held in his right hand found its way into Alek's neck.

The Zabrak spoke then, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Know that Maul appreciates your sacrifice for the future of the Sith."

After Alek's corpse slumped to the ground, Maul pulled the lightsaber to him with the Force, and sprinted down the path after the fleeing padawan.

* * *

Vozani was rushing back to the ship when she felt it. Her Master-Padawan Force bond was severed. The shock was so great that she stumbled once more, though she caught herself this time. She steeled herself then. She would avenge her master or die trying. She turned back towards where her master had died, and reignited her sapphire-blue blade.

She didn't even have time to react. The spear, thrown by Maul and accelerated by the Force, slammed into her torso with enough force to send her hurtling into the dense underbrush. The lightsaber flew from her grip as she bounced off of a tree and fell into a pit in the ground. A slow moving carnivorous Gondavoya rose out of the pit and bit her arm. Slowly, it dragged her beneath the surface, into its den for consumption.

Not quite dead, Vozani struggled for a few moments until her lungs collapsed fully. After that, she accepted the sweet bliss of oblivion, and her conscience faded into the Force. The spear stayed lodged in her torso until it was yanked out of her with a sickening squelch, called to its master. Maul secured it to his back, and summoned the second lightsaber to his outstretched hand. He stood there for a moment, as if pondering something. Without a word, he strode back to the location of the first corpse. Some time later, the Gondavoya would reemerge from its den to find an even larger meal had appeared in its pit trap.

* * *

Maul walked purposefully into the camp and strode onto the Jedi transport vessel. Pulling a datastick from his cloak, he inserted it into the dataport in the cockpit, and left the ship. No sooner did he step off of the boarding ramp did the ship take off, its hacked autopilot plotting a course straight into the system's sun.

Looking at the camp around him, Maul quickly moved all the leftover materials in the camp into one big pile of bedding and machinery, and ignited it with a short burst of rather weak Force Lightning. He shook his head in distaste as the materials burned. He never did like the Lightning, it wasn't his style. He was much better at the much more combative facet of the Dark Side. The mystic lightning did not come easily to him.

Once the pile finished burning, he levitated a mass of dirt over the ashes and let it fall. After that, he strode out of camp, walking through the sunlit forest back to his waiting ship. Once there, he jumped upwards several meters onto the ramp, and walked into the cockpit. Once there, he pressed a button on the main set of touchscreens, and sat back in his chair.

The ship slowly turned upwards, and accelerated upwards out of the atmosphere and into the void beyond. Once in space, Maul turned on his long-range hypertransmitter, and waited as it bounced the subspace signal off of several hidden Holonet nodes until it reached his Master on Naboo. Once it had, his Master appeared in a burst of blue light and static.

 _"Well, my assassin. I assume this means that you have killed the pair of Jedi?"_ His tone suggested that he already knew the answer.

Maul nodded, his expression betraying no emotion.

 _"Good,"_ his Master intoned. _"Very good. You are one step closer to being my true apprentice. It is time to construct your new weapon as I have taught you. Contact me again when it is finished."_

Maul nodded once more. "As you wish, master."

The hologram cut off, and Maul was left in a silent cockpit. He set the course for Naboo. He would return to his master's private estate, and present his new weapon to his master for inspection, and when he would finally be graced with the presence of the current Dark Lord of the Sith himself, Darth Plagueis. It would be quite an honor. But he was getting ahead of himself. First, he would need to forge his new weapon.

With that in mind, he waited for the ship to jump to lightspeed, then left the cockpit and traveled down to the lower deck. He entered into the ready room, where a large assortment of lightsaber parts lay on a high-quality cloth that covered a raised table with an open space in the middle.

Removing the deceased Knight's lightsaber from his belt, he deftly took his spear in one hand, and placed the lightsaber on the table with the other. He then swiftly brought his spear down onto the silver hilt, shattering it and revealing the nigh-invulnerable Kyber crystal at its heart. He grinned, and levitated the rest of the shattered assembly into the bin at his side. Repeating the process with the fallen Padawan's lightsaber, he soon had two faintly glowing Kyber crystals on the tablecloth in front of him, both singing melodies that he could not hear.

Now came the only hard part. The assembly of his hilt would be just a few minutes of focus. The task of taking the crystals for his own would require his full attention. And so, he did just that. He levitated the first of the crystals in front of him as he sat on the cold metal floor of his ship. Concentrating on the crystal before him, he began to pour his pain into it. And as he did so, the crystal's song began to dim, and Maul began to hear a sound in his soul.

The crystal was screaming.

* * *

On a desert planet in Hutt Space, a slave boy of a dozen years or so had just finished his walk home for the night. He opened the door silently, so as to not wake his mother, who he hoped was sleeping right now, rather than working on whatever project that their master had her working her fingers to the bone over at the moment.

She was sleeping when he walked in. Thank goodness for small mercies at least. He allowed himself a smile at the thought. Closing the door to her room, he made his way to his bedroom.

Once there, he removed the circuit piece that he had lifted off of one of the traders that had tried to cheat his master today. His master allowed him to keep some of what he stole from people who tried to cheat his master, so long as his master got a majority of the stolen tech. But that suited the boy fine. He would make his droid, piece by piece using the skills his mother taught him. The droid would help his mother with her technical work. He had made it using parts of old C and R-unit droids.

But truth be told, the droid had another purpose. The droid's memory banks would eventually surpass that of the average R2 unit, and it would be used to plot their hyperspace route off of this rock. If they could get their hands on a ship, that is. But if he continued to win small time podraces for his master, he knew that they would eventually work off his mother's lifedebt, and they would be free.

But until then, the boy would work for his master, build his droid, love his mother, and stare up at the night stars, hoping for a future as bright as the twin suns.

 _"But you know that won't happen, child. If you want a future, just turn to me."_

The boy winced. The voice in his head had been there for as long as he could remember, but the doctor visits, which added to his mother's already heavy lifedebt, said that there was nothing to be done about the voices in his head. They couldn't even find a reason for there to be voices in his head.

But the boy knew that it was there. It spoke to him in the night, like just now. It promised a good future, if only he let it take control. His mother had believed him, and told him to trust in her, and in himself. So he did. The voice didn't care. It assured him that it would be with him until the day that he died, and beyond.

* * *

 **AN: This story will cover roughly the prequel era. If you have any questions, please PM either me or StormEyeDragon. This is technically a collab at the moment, but we could always use more help. The tentative plan is to switch off who has the current 'Main' story and who has side stories. We also have a Community set up that all stories set in this Saga are posted to.**

 **For any of you that care, Alek looks like a 25-27 year old Sean Bean. Vozani is Rodian, which for those of you that might not know, is Greedo's species. Cortosis in this Saga doesn't short out lightsabers because they both work differently, which will be explained later.**

And here's the disclaimer. We do not own anything that is officially part of Star Wars, Legends or Canon. We do not claim ownership of any of the property of Lucasfilm, Disney, or any published authors. We are not making any money from this story.


	2. Fire Over Paradise

Note: Here's Chapter 2. Hope you enjoy this, and the rest to come.

* * *

Fire Over Paradise

* * *

32 Years Before the Battle of Yavin - The Separatist Crisis is building…

 **Coruscant - The Senate Building**

* * *

"And let it be known that the Naboo system has been cheating the Trade Federation out of several months of shipping fees! Our records are quite clear on this! The combined shipping fees on their shipments of plasma are being displayed on your screens now. I can see many of your reactions. Indeed, this is a rather hefty sum. Therefore, we seek approval from the Senate to use our trading vessels to form a non-aggressive blockade of the system until they agree to pay us every last credit that they have denied us."

"We would, of course, agree to Jedi oversight of this process. We want this to go well just as much as you do! We only wish to peacefully have what is rightfully ours, nothing more…."

...

"After much deliberation, this body has come to an agreement. Representatives of the Trade Federation, by the will of this Senate and the Republic, your request has been approved. The Trade Federation may move forward with a limited blockade of the Naboo system until such time as they have paid their dues, pending investigations from Jedi Overseers. Let this be a message to any system that tries to hoard wealth for itself at the expense of other our honest businesses! This Republic will not tolerate it, even from a system so respected as Naboo. I hereby declare this meeting adjourned.

Excerpt of transcript of Trade Fed. appeal to Senate, Date - 03:1:05, Time - 05:42

* * *

 **Naboo**

* * *

Forty eight large, circular Lucrehulk-class vessels of the Trade Federation hung over the planet of Naboo like vultures. Each major spaceport on the planet was accounted for, as well as several key cities, such as the capital of Theed, Dee'ja peak, home of the Parliament. Several other ships simply made high-orbit patrols and observed the entire planet from afar.

A red Consular-class Cruiser dropped out of hyperspace, and hailed a Trade Federation ship that bore the Neimoidian symbols for command.

"Trade Federation command vessel _Dleefnarc,_ this is the Republic diplomatic vessel _Concordia._ We have onboard the Jedi Ambassadors assigned to oversee this blockade. Please respond." The captain did not have to wait long before the _Dleefnarc_ responded.

A Neimoidian appeared onscreen." _Greetings,_ Concordia." The captain noted that the Neimoidian was not the well-known Viceroy Gunray. " _As you may have noticed, this is Captain Zind Srevmo. Viceroy Gunray has requested that the ambassadors meet him on the surface of Naboo. The viceroy's shuttle is awaiting your decision_."

The captain narrowed her eyes. "That's not what the Senate set as the requirements for this meet—"

A gentle voice came from the robed figure behind her. "Go ahead, Captain. The Senate will respect my report regardless. I would very much like to see Naboo myself. Seeing how the locals are reacting to the blockade will make for a much more meaningful report."

The captain pressed her lips together. Why couldn't people just stick to plans? But the request of a Jedi Master carried a lot of weight."Very well, Master Jedi." To the copilot, she added, "Hail them."

"Yes Captain." The copilot activated the comm. When the signal went through, the captain addressed the Trade Federation vessel.

"The Jedi ambassadors have agreed to meet the Viceroy on the surface of Naboo." Captain Srevmo was quick to respond.

" _Excellent! I will tell the Viceroy of your decision immediately._ " He cut off the transmission.

"And now we shall wait for our hosts," the Jedi said. "Follow their ship when they appear." The hooded Jedi turned and left the room, seeming to glide silently through the cockpit doorway.

Once he was gone, the copilot turned to the captain. "If I may—"

The captain cut him off. "I don't like this anymore than you do, but we have our orders." The tension in her stance lessened. "Besides, it's not like the Trade Federation is going to do something stupid. The Senate would have their slimy hides."

With her piece said, the Captain turned to the transparisteel viewport in front of her. Understanding that the conversation was over, the copilot joined her in waiting on the Trade Federation shuttle.

* * *

"The Jedi have agreed to our terms, as you have predicated, milord. They're currently standing by in orbit."

" _Excellent. You know what to do. Go to the prepared chamber. It is time to set the next stage in motion_."

Viceroy Nute Gunray bowed his head. "Yes, my lord." Raising his eyes, he looked at the crackling blue hologram before him. The thin, elongated face of Darth Plagueis stared back, eyes seeming to bore into his very soul. "Are you certain that the Senate will allow the next step?" His voice held no small amount of fear and uncertainty.

Plagueis's eyes darkened, seeming to glow even through the hologram. When he responded, the respirator that enveloped his lower face gave his voice a synthetic edge. " _I assure you, Viceroy, that my apprentice is doing his part in the Senate to ensure that this plan does not fail. Indeed, the starfighters and pilots that he prepared are ready as well. Just do your part as instructed Viceroy, and all will be as I have planned. Is that understood_?" With that, Plagueis lapsed into silence, waiting for Gunray's answer.

Gunray swallowed. "Yes, my lord," he managed. "I understand."

" _Good_." With that, Plagueis cut the transmission.

Gunray turned and looked at his shuttle. He located a battle droid with pilot markings, and waved. The droid understood the signal, saluted, and walked up the ramp of the shuttle, closing the door behind it. The shuttle carried several volunteers, one of them Gunray's own cousin. A near genetic match for the Viceroy, he was also dressed in Gunray's standard diplomatic attire. Gunray watched from the hangar floor as the shuttle lifted off of the floor and slowly moved towards the open hangar door. Once it left through the force field, he turned and walked into a hallway, making his way back to the carefully designed communication chamber. It would allow him to pretend that he was on the shuttle, and the Republic cruiser would be none the wiser. The signal would use the shuttle as a relay point, so it would appear as if the shuttle was his true location. A very wise plan indeed. Soon, his role would be over, and he could simply let his underlings play their parts as he watched in comfort.

He grinned lecherously, his mind drifting to the new Twi'lek dancers that had just arrived. _'Watching in comfort indeed,'_ he thought.

* * *

"Captain." The copilot pointed out the new sensor contact.

"I see it, Commander." The Captain acknowledged.

"They are hailing us, Captain," the copilot reported as he watched the communications panel.

"Onscreen." The captain watched as the face of Nute Gunray filled the comm screen.

" _Greetings,_ Concordia _. I am glad that you could join me. Now, if you would please follow me to the surface, you can complete your investigation, and return to the Senate with the satisfaction of a job well done_." The viceroy's face was neutral, betraying nothing. The captain didn't like it, but since the Jedi had given her orders, there was little that she could do.

"Acknowledged. If you don't mind, Viceroy, where on be surface are we going?" The captain raised an eyebrow.

Gunray smiled almost imperceptibly. " _My apologies. I will transmit the coordinates and flight path now_." He cut the transmission.

The comm panel beeped, and the copilot pressed a series of buttons, then paused. "Flight path and destination received, Captain. Permission to plot the path?"

The captain allowed herself a slight smile. "Granted, Commander." The commander was young. Most members of the navy his age were no higher than Lieutenant at best. In days long gone, talented young officers would have been grappling for a chair in one of the great Star Destroyers. Pirates were the only common threat, and they tended to be outmatched by an average planetary defense squadron. The only Star Destroyers around these days were almost Venator-class cruisers found in the patrol fleets of wealthy Core Worlds.

A series of beeps snapped her out of her thoughts. "Course has been set, Captain. Shall I contact the Jedi?" He looked at her expectantly.

"Go ahead. Just let them know that we are finally underway." Without another word, she engaged the main engines and started following the path, making small adjustments as the ship entered the planet's hyperdrive limit, gravity ever so slightly gripping the ship.

* * *

The two vessels made their way down to the planet, sloping slowly as they approached the surface. Several minutes passed as they moved through the atmosphere. The pair of ships rapidly made their way over the Gungan swamplands, slowing their speed so as to not violate the speed limits set by a previous treaty.

* * *

Watching the sensor feeds carefully, Viceroy Gunray pressed a button on the comm panel at his front. A tight-beam transmission rapidly made its way to the surface from the subspace radio transmitter, reaching its distant destination near instantaneously, far faster than lightspeed.

* * *

Four Naboo starfighters lifted off of the ground several kilometers ahead. Each cockpit contained the corpse of a pilot, all kidnapped and murdered hours before. Carefully programmed astromech droids acted as the pilots as the ships accelerated to maximum speed. Their attack formation was a standard Naboo Navy formation, specifically designed for attacking pirate cruisers. All four readied their torpedoes for launch.

* * *

Sitting at a table in the main room of the cruiser, Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi looked troubled. "Master Qui-Gon. Something feels wrong. I can feel a great deal of fear from the shuttle."

His Master looked at him. His Padawan must have been quite stressed if he addressed his master by name. Not that Qui-Gon blamed him. "I feel it also. Something strange is going on—"

The feeling vanished, replaced by a brief flash of pain, then fear from the cockpit of their cruiser. A voice called over the intercom. "Brace!" With that, the ship shuddered under a heavy blow. "Get to the pods, Jedi! We're being attacked by the Naboo! They've already killed the Federation shuttle, and—" The intercom shut off and the ship shuddered again. The ship started losing altitude. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon shared a quick look before rushing to the large escape pod at the front of the ship.

* * *

The remains of the Sheathipede-class shuttle had long since crashed to the ground behind them. Its destruction has been the only warning the Republic ship had been given. The first starfighter hadn't even fired a weapon, but instead rammed headlong into the shuttle. Not that it really mattered, it still alerted the cruiser to the threat. The shields had barely been raised before a set of torpedoes rocked the ship. Both captain and copilot worked furiously to keep the ship in the air, even as the ship was steadily falling towards the swamps below.

The ship shuddered under another torpedo. The copilot's face was tight, tension straining his features. "The shields over the engines are failing. The reactor is overheating. And—"

"I get it," the captain stated. She keyed the intercom. "Jedi, are you in the escape pod?" The captain's voice was similarly controlled, with only a hint of tension.

The Jedi's response came immediately. "We are, Captain. The ship is going down, then?" The tone held a touch of concern.

"Yes. We are trying to put it down carefully. If we can't, we'll at least try and make it so they can't target your pod." She waited for a response.

"Very well, Captain. Thank you. May the Force be with you."

With that, the captain shut off the intercom. "And with you, Master Jedi." The words felt hollow, but they provided some comfort. She had just turned to the copilot again when the ship shuddered heavily and the sound of tearing metal filled her ears.

"Engineering is gone, Captain! The engines are failing!" Now the copilot's voice openly betrayed his panic.

The captain looked at their altitude. Low enough. The escape pod would vanish into the water without being targeted. It was a miracle that they hadn't already lost it, but the enemy attacks had been concentrated on the rear of the ship.

Without a hint of hesitation, she jettisoned the main escape pod. And not a moment too soon. Barely a moment later, a set of torpedoes slammed into the reactor, and the ship vanished, replaced by a ball of fire and scrap metal. The pod continued towards the ground unhindered, having been outside of the range of the explosion.

* * *

In the escape pod, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon sat, strapped to their seats as the pod plummeted towards the swampland below. They both winced as they felt the deaths of the crew of the cruiser above them.

Obi-Wan looked towards his Master. "So how long do you think it will take for the pod to reach the ground, Master?"

Qui-Gon met the eyes of his Padawan. "I do not know. I suspect—" Their conversation was cut off as the pod plowed into the swampy ground below them, sinking slightly into the shallow water.

* * *

The three remaining fighters hung in the air for a few moments before the last of their programming kicked in. Two of the fighters rapidly shot into the sky, while the third made a nosedive towards the closest lake. While the third crashed and sunk below the surface of the lake, the other two rapidly turned in midair, pointed themselves towards a collection of statues, and gunned their engines. Moments later, they collided with the ancient stone faces and exploded. The statues vanished, little more than dust and gravel when the explosions faded.

* * *

Up in orbit, Nute Gunray watched with apprehension plain on his face as the reports came in from their sensors. His face slowly morphed into a grin as more and more of the reports filtered in. When the last reports came in that the fighters had crashed, he was grinning fully. Success.

He activated his comlink. "Order the Bridge to begin the next phase. Contact the Senate first, of course. We wouldn't want to do this carelessly."

 _"Yes, Viceroy,"_ Captain Srevmo replied. _"With all due respect, Viceroy, this will have to be the last transmission, as you are dead now."_ The Captain looked uneasy at having to say this.

Gunray was unfazed. "But of course, Captain. Good luck with the invasion. May you avenge me and the poor Jedi well." With that, he cut the transmission, turning his attention to the pair of Twi'lek slaves in front of him. "As for you my pretties, would you please put on a nice show? I was a good man in life, after all. My afterlife should be full of fun!" Chuckling to himself, he watched as they began to dance.

* * *

The boy awoke with a start. It was still before the dawn. He shivered, though not from the cold. Something felt wrong, but he didn't know what. He listened carefully. His mother was probably still sleeping, but it never hurt to be certain. Ever since her finger injury three months ago, she had had to cut back on the work she did for her master. Her life debt seemed further and further away from repayment every day.

 _That just means that you are the one doing more work, doesn't it, boy?_

The boy grimaced. Of course the Invader had to offer its opinion. It had been growing stronger ever since his mother had gotten hurt.

 _Of course I have, boy. You are the one that has made me stronger. You have fed me with your despair and with your fear for your, no_. Our _mother._

"No," the boy whispered, though he was far from convinced. "My mother. You're just an invader in my mind."

 _You can believe that all you want boy. But I am a part of you now._ The voice grew darker _. And I always will be. Do you know how I know? I can do_ this _!_

The boy grew dizzy, and fainted. He awoke in a cloudy place. "Where am I?" His voice echoed until it faded into nothing. Hearing something behind him, he turned. What he saw made his blood run cold.

Something stepped out of his shadow, a mirror image of himself except for the face. The thing's face had a pair of yellow eyes. The boy's eyes were blue.

The boy stumbled backwards. "What, what are you?" His voice was heavy with fear.

The thing laughed. " _I told you. I am part of you. And as for where you are, well, I guess you could say that this place is part of your mind. Not quite the entirety of it, but the section that controls your sense of identity._ " The thing turned away from him for a moment, then turned back, clutching its chest. " _Well_ ," it said, sounding pained. " _I suppose that this this is the end of our little meeting. Goodbye for now, boy._ "

With that, the cloudy place went dark. The boy awoke again with a start, sweat covering his body. He glanced around again, straining his ears, but heard nothing. His mother was still asleep. Good. The boy looked around the dark room until his eyes found the window. Still not even a hint of dawn. Shaking himself, he got out of bed slowly. He didn't feel tired anymore. Crossing the room, he approached the droid at the side of his desk.

When he reached the droid, he flipped it on, immediately putting a finger to his mouth. The droid saw the gesture, and understood. It did not greet him with the usual set of whistles. Instead, it stared at him, waiting for instructions.

"Morning, Artoo," he whispered. "Let's run another diagnostic, okay? Blink once if yes."

A light on the front of the droid's chest blinked once. Its single eye seemed happy as it stared at the boy.

The boy smiled. "Let's do this, buddy." The boy and the droid slowly checked each system for errors, correcting minor bugs as they went along. The boy loved working on his droid. It was almost as much fun as flying in podraces.

The hours ticked by, and the sand outside swirled in the wind. All the while, the stars moved overhead, the constellations shifting slowly as night shifted into dawn.

* * *

 **AN: Here's the next chapter of Anakin the Chosen, one of many stories set in this new Saga. If you have any questions about this new Saga, please see Storm's profile, or PM me. If you wish to follow the entire Saga as it comes out, We have a community set up that the stories are a part of. Following the community may make it easier to follow the Saga as a whole. If you want to join up and help, please PM either myself or StormEyeDragon. We can try to work something out.**

 **Dleefnarc means Trade Agreement in Neimoidian.**

Here's the disclaimer. We do not own anything that is officially part of Star Wars, Legends or Canon. We do not claim ownership of any of the property of Lucasfilm, Disney, or any published authors. We are not making any money from this story.


	3. Paradise Lost

Welcome to Chapter 3! Here we see a little of the world-building that StormEyeDragon has constructed for this trilogy, while giving some characters ignored or underutilized in the original PT some much-needed development. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Paradise Lost

* * *

32 Years Before the Battle of Yavin - The Separatist Crisis is building…

 **Coruscant** **\- The Senate Building**

* * *

Chancellor Valorum's weary voice carried through the hall of the Senate. "Thank you all for attending this emergency session. The Chair recognizes the Senator of the Trade Federation." He suppressed a grimace. This had just come down on the Senate as they were working out a Banking Clan dispute in the Galactic North. One thing after another.

The pod of the Trade Federation delegation hovered towards the center of the Senate hall. Once there, the senator began to speak rather passionately.

"As you may know, several hours ago, the diplomats from both ourselves and the esteemed Jedi Order were slaughtered by the Naboo. This outrage cannot be allowed to stand! This unprovoked attack on diplomatic vessels must be the symptom of greater unrest!

The senator fell silent for a moment to gauge the reaction of the assembly, then continued. "Therefore, we of the Trade Federation petition this body to allow us to declare martial law on the planet of Naboo, and seize resources as compensation for their crimes!" The voice of the Trade Federation Senator held much purpose, echoing strongly through the Senate hall.

As the murmurs of the gathered Senators grew in volume, an indicator pinging on the screen at Valorum's fingertips. He looked down, and a wince flashed briefly over his face. He rapidly regained his composure, a neutral expression once again masking his emotions. His next sentence carried none of his carefully hidden hesitation. "The Chair now recognizes the Senator from Naboo."

Senator Palpatine nodded. "Thank you, Supreme Chancellor." The pod of the Naboo delegation hovered towards the center of the hall, replacing the Trade Federation delegation as the center of attention. Once there, Palpatine addressed the hall, his voice firm.

"I must object to these measures. I must once again remind this body that the investigation into the alleged evasion of payments has not yet yielded proof that Naboo has committed a crime. Additionally, you must all remember that the system of Naboo has never before caused trouble for the Republic. I have been in contact with the queen, and I assure you that the government of Naboo issued no such attack on the diplomats."

He paused, taking in the subdued murmurs, then took a deep breath. "If I may be so bold, I must point out that these allegations are being made against a sovereign system by the Senator of a corporation that stands to profit from this proposal. Given these circumstances, one might question if corruption plays a hand in this whole affair."

With that, the entire hall burst into argument. Valorum was quick to call for silence. "Respected members of the Senate, please! We must have silence." The uproar dimmed somewhat. He tried again. "Representatives of the Republic, we must resolve this situation now. May I remind you that we are still untangling the Banking Clan's issues in the Galactic North?"

Palpatine's face remained blank, his pride masked by many years of practice.

When Valorum next spoke, it was to Palpatine. "Senator Palpatine, these accusations are rather strong. In light of your system's recent murder of Jedi and Trade Federation diplomats, I'm afraid that I must place you under investigation. It must be determined whether you are involved in this plot to destabilize our Republic. As such, you cannot be allowed presence in any further sessions."

Valorum pressed a button on his monitor, and the Naboo pod began to move. The murmurs once again burst into an uproar as the Naboo pod was forcefully sent back to the the edge of the hall. Only moments later Palpatine was escorted out of the hall by a pair of cloaked guards. Representative Dedre was left alone in the pod, wringing his hands nervously.

The screen in the Chancellor's pod pinged again, reminding him of the Trade Federation's request. Valorum winced, then felt a tap on his shoulder. Mas Amedda whispered in his ear. "Perhaps it would be best to grant the request of the Trade Federation. If we show that the Senate won't let systems bully their way to local economic superiority, it might be a good deterrent for the Separatist movement."

The noise level in the chamber began to lessen as Valorum debated the idea.

 _'Would this been seen as abusing my authority if I did this without a vote? That would just be feeding propaganda to the Separatists on a silver platter, wouldn't it? But a vote that affects commerce has to be on the Senate floor for a minimum of six hours-'_

Amedda's voice sounded in his ear again, but with a hint more urgency. "Chancellor, look. The Banking Clan has requested that we finish addressing them within the next five hours. If we don't comply, who knows what ramifications this will create."

Valorum's eyes darted to the display before him. Amedda was right. The message blinked urgently. Form the look of it, countless lobbyists had backed their request. He held back a sigh. _'Sweet varp. Of all the times they could have asked. So much for a vote.'_

Valorum's mouth compressed into a thin line. "By the power vested in me by Article Seven of the Constitution of the Republic, I declare that the Trade Federation's request for martial law is approved." He didn't allow his hesitancy to color his tone.

The room erupted into noise again. Protests mingled with approvals and arguments started between several neighboring pods. Valorum winced. At least it was done.

Valorum looked to the many pods around him, then sat down and sighed. His tired voice carried through the chamber.

"This meeting is adjourned. We will meet again in an hour to address the Banking Clan dispute." He nodded at the figure to his left, who pressed a button on the panel in front of him. The doors to the Chancellor's private rooms below slid open, and his pod began sinking. The uproar did not cease until long after his pod had vanished into the chamber below.

* * *

 **Coruscant - Jedi Temple**

* * *

Sunlight filtered through the shaded windows of a training room high in the Jedi Temple. Inside, the room glowed with the blue light of several ignited lightsabers that swung in unison as they completed a training exercise.

"Again." The voice of Jedi Master Nero Dooku carried over the several padawans that were practicing in front of him. Normally, padawans would receive lightsaber instruction from their teachers, but these six students had decided to study Form II, the least popular form of the seven Jedi styles. As such, few instructors were capable of teaching the form to students. As the Order's top practitioner of Form II, Dooku was the obvious choice as a teacher of the form.

"Always keep yourself centered." He watched as the padawans swung their blades in unison. Eyes narrowing, he crossed to the second padawan in line, an Ithorian by the name of Fra Zotut. "Feet in line, always." His voice was firm, but not cold. She nodded, and corrected her foot placement. Once he confirmed that they were in alignment, he paced back to the front of the room.

He did not face the padawans again, but chose to look outside. It mattered not, for they could hear him regardless.

"The lightsaber is unique among bladed weapons. All sides of the blade might as well be edges, and strikes will do the same damage regardless of the buildup to the impact. Form II, also known as Makashi, is therefore the most superior form when it comes to combat. It does not focus on power, but precision. In order to master this form, you must internalize the necessary mindset." He spun on his heel and panned his gaze across the gathered students.

"As you may know, as practitioners of Form II, you will often be chosen by the council to deal with situations that require-"

A knock at the door interrupted him. His face clouded with annoyance for a moment, before regaining a mask of refined calm.

"Situations that require someone prepared for confrontation, but not those that possess the aggressiveness that comes from the teachings of Form V, nor the flamboyance of Form IV, nor the defensivess of Form-

The knock sounded again. Sighing, Dooku crossed over to the door, and opened it. The expressionless mask of a Temple Guard met his gaze. Dooku raised an eyebrow. "I thought I requested that my lessons would go uninterrupted?" It was not quite a question.

The guard was quick to reply. "Master Dooku, the council has been trying to contact you for some time. They sent me to tell you that they request your presence in the council chambers immediately."

With his brow furrowing in annoyance, Dooku turned to his students. "This lesson is over. Study the standard forms in the training holos until we meet again."

The padawans responded nearly in unison. "Yes, Master Dooku."

They willed their blades to deactivate and began talking quietly among themselves, some contacting their masters to tell them that they were coming to meet them. Dooku left at that point, knowing that they would find their masters easily enough. He strode through the halls of the Temple, making his way to the chamber of the Jedi Council. A frown creased his face.

Once he reached the council chamber, he strode elegantly into the center of the room. He stood with his hands clasped in front of him, staring directly at the face of his former teacher, Grandmaster Yoda. The lights from the buildings of Coruscant filled the windows behind the masters, casting their shadows into the center of the room where Dooku now stood.

Dooku nodded respectfully. "Masters of the council. What may I do for you? Surely it must be important indeed if it is worth interrupting the education of Padawans." The smoothness of his voice did not hide the challenge in his tone.

Master Windu did not flinch. He met Dooku's eyes with a calm expression. "Master Dooku. We have called you here to discuss your former Padawan, Master Qui-Gon Jinn." He turned to look at Master Ki Adi Mundi.

Master Mundi took over, shifting uncomfortably in his chair as he did so. "There has been a development in the Naboo situation and-"

Master Yuno Picus interrupted. "We believe that he may be dead, along with his Padawan learner, Obi-Wan Kenobi." Dooku noted that she was staring at him with a mixture of sympathy and curiosity. Was she testing him? He would have to think about that another time. He managed to maintain his neutral expression.

Mundi coughed. "Well, we are still not sure. The Trade Federation did not report any sensor readings indicating that the escape pods had launched." He met Dooku's eyes with a rather hopeful expression. "We were hoping that you might have sensed something, since you were Master Jinn's teacher."

Dooku's face was stiff. "I did not feel his passing, but I cannot sense if he is alive, either." He shifted his gaze to stare pointedly at Yoda, his patient tone slipping for a moment. "As you all know, the Master-Padawan bond does not endure for long if the former Master and Padawan walk different paths after the Padawan's Knighthood." He gave the rest of the council one last glance. "If that is all that you needed to hear, I shall be on my way." He began to turn to face the door.

Master Yoda spoke up at that point. "Wait. To Naboo this council may send you, should the situation call for it."

Dooku turned back, his expression cold. "If this Council calls for it because of the will of the Senate, you mean." He took a breath, then continued. "I will go if I am ordered to, but know this." He paused, panning his gaze to meet each Council member in the eye before continuing.

"If it turns out that those two have died, I will not return to the Temple. Enough Jedi have died because of the whim of the Senate."

With that, Dooku pivoted on his heel and strode out of the room with his hands clasped at the small of his back.

The members of the Council turned to Yoda, but Yoda was not paying attention. He simply stared at his interwoven fingers, pondering the emotions that had been boiling off of his old student.

* * *

 **Naboo**

* * *

 _"...n"_

 _"...wan."_

 _"Obi-Wan."_

Obi-Wan Kenobi snapped awake with a start, and began to sit up. "Master, I-" A jolt of pain lanced through his head. "Ugh…"

"Relax, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon's gentle voice seemed to echo slightly in Obi-Wan's head. "We are safe here."

Obi-Wan tried to focus on his master's voice. "And where…" He grimaced, gingerly placing a hand on the side of his head, finding a gel-like bandage. "And where exactly is here?"

Distantly, he noted that he was reclining on a soft bed. "And why am I hurt? I could have sworn the escape pods were, ugh, supposed to prevent that."

Qui-Gon gave him a kind smile. "We are here among the Gungans. We crashed near one of their sacred sites, and they picked up our escape pod." He massaged his left arm, which was bound with a bandage. "We were hurt because the straps were not as secure as we thought."

Obi-Wan forced his eyes open, wincing at the light. When his vision cleared, he took in the sights around him. They were inside a bubble-like structure, probably deep underwater. The transparent walls, along with the lights, gave everything a golden-yellow glow.

He blinked, trying to get a sense of things. "I don't suppose that they were very pleased about helping us if we crashed a ship near their one of their sacred sites."

Oui-Gon's face was grim. "They were far more annoyed that a set of sacred statues was turned to rubble."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened in shock. "If you don't mind me asking, why are we not dead?"

Qui-Gon's face relaxed slightly. I was awake at the time, and could plead our case to the soldiers that arrived at our pod. Once they learned that we were here to investigate the Naboo, they were willing to help us." He almost smiled. "They still want us to leave of course, but they won't cast us out just yet."

Obi-Wan blinked in confusion. "Yet?"

Qui-Gon nodded. "They have a transport and a guide prepared for us that will take us straight to Theed. From there we can get transportation back to Coruscant and make our report." He smiled thinly. "It should make for an interesting report. The Gungans were generous enough to let me examine their data about the recovered fighter. Their autopsy revealed something that may either help settle this situation or complicate it tenfold."

Obi-Wan sat up slowly. "So when do we leave?"

"Whenever you are ready," Qui-Gon replied. "The doctors said that our wounds should be completely healed in less than an hour. From what I can tell, they're better than bacta patches. You've probably noticed that the pain is almost gone."

Obi-Wan pressed his hand to the side of his head. "It is." He looked at his master. "I'm good to go."

Qui-Gon extended his hand. "Then let's be on our way. We can remove the bandages during the trip."

* * *

 _"I am very sorry, your Majesty. There is little I can do in this situation. This will likely be the last time that I will be allowed to contact you until this whole affair is settled."_ Palpatine's tone shifted slightly.

 _"Is there anything that you wish for Representative Dedre to tell the Senate on your behalf? Perhaps you have proof that the Naboo did not order this attack? Anything you wish for me to know, secrets or confessions from officials that can end this affair here?"_ His eyes were pleading, even through the crackling distortion of the hologram.

Queen Amidala's face remained expressionless. "Unfortunately, I cannot offer anything beyond the testimonies of our Defense Officers." She glanced to the side, toward a well-dressed woman on her left.

"And those testimonies have been contradicted by the accusations that the Gungans have made in the past hour. Apparently a small group of N-1 fighters engaged the diplomats and killed them, defiling a sacred site in the process. As proof, they sent us holograms of a recently used fighter crashed in a lake nearby. They demand reparations or they will declare war."

Senator Palpatine winced. _"That is... unfortunate... to say the least."_ He sighed, glancing at something to his side. _"It appears I have to end this call now. Any further communications will have to be relayed to Representative Dedre."_ He gave the queen a thin smile.

 _"Goodbye, and good luck, your majesty. I believe that the Trade Federation vessels in orbit will be receiving the decision of the Senate any moment now."_

The hologram fizzled out, leaving the throne room in relative silence for a few moments.

Captain Panaka's communicator broke the silence with a series of frenzied beeps. He activated it. "Panaka here." His face grew grim. "Very well. Thank you." He turned to face Queen Amidala. "The Republic has abandoned us. The Trade Federation vessels have begun to deploy landing craft."

Queen Amidala nodded, her face still fixed in a neutral expression. "Then we must prepare our people for what is to come. Get civilians indoors, and order the garrisons to only fire if fired upon in return. I want this to be resolved bloodlessly if possible."

* * *

"The invasion force is being launched as we speak, milord," Zind Srevmo said, tilting his head down to stare at the hem of Plagueis' robes rather than meet the Muun's sulfur-colored eyes.

"And our spies in the capital of Theed report that the Queen has taken a defensive position. As you predicted, they seem like they will not fight back unless we push them to do so."

 _"And what of the destroyed ships?"_ Plagueis' synthetic voice crackled over the sound of static. _"Have you dispatched your troops to the area where the Republic transport crashed?"_

Zind nodded, raising his eyes to meet the Sith's cold gaze. "Yes, we have. Rest assured, milord, that our droids scouring the area are supported by heavy armor and will be more than effective in destroying the Jedi Ambassadors, if they even survived the crash."

Plagueis narrowed his eyes, forcing Zind to cast his sweat-covered face back down to avoid the look. _"Make no assumption, captain. Jedi do not die so easily. I want their corpses found, or else they be turned into corpses. Is that clear?"_

"Perfectly clear, Lord Plagueis."

 _"Good. Make sure that your Lucrehulks are in position. Keep the hyperlanes open and prepare to scare the Queen offworld."_

Zind nodded vigorously. "Your will shall be done, Lord Plagueis. And what should be done with the Gungan stragglers in the area?" He waited for the Dark Lord to give a reply, but when he didn't, Zind timidly raised his head to see Plagueis staring blankly at him. "Is there a problem, milord?"

 _"What do you mean by 'stragglers', Captain?"_ Plagueis' tone was as cold as space.

Zind felt the back of his neck break out in a cold sweat, as he stammered out, "I, uh... I thought you'd read it already in my report, sir. The Jedi transport was destroyed over Gungan lands, and its escape pods landed in the swamps. Our scouts reported that the fighters had in fact crashed into some of the natives' ancient ruins, and that there were footprints resembling the Gungans' near the area, along with a set that could have been made by the Jedi."

Plagueis said nothing, but Srevmo could swear that the Dark Lord's golden eyes began glowing under the shadows of his robe.

"I-I'm sure that they could've gotten far, milord." Zind hastily said, not liking the Sith's quiet demeanor. "The Jedi has to have found some kind of sanctuary on land, since Gungans are an amphibious species after all. Our battle droids are more than a match for a wounded Jedi and some Gungan war- hrrk!"

Zind's airpipe began to constrict painfully, forcing him to struggle to draw breath.

The Sith Lord spoke, his icy tone piercing through Zind's pain. _"Are you absolutely certain that the shuttle followed the correct path?"_

Zind's eyes bulged. "Yes, my lord! I, hrrk, swear on my life! We ordered the shuttle to, hrrk, fly on the path that was sent to us!"

Plagueis spoke again, his tone subdued but the anger still obvious in subtle manners. _"You had better be right, Captain. The involvement of the Gungans could compromise the integrity of this operation, and could set back our plans irreparably."_

His voice grew deeper as he continued speaking. _"You must ensure that the Queen is aware of the fact that the ships were pre-programmed to attack the ambassadors. Do whatever it takes, even if you have to reveal Nute's survival and have him monologue like a villain from a holonet drama. Even the death of the Jedi is secondary to this. Am I understood?"_

"O-of course, Lord Plagueis," Zind croaked out. With that, the pressure on his airway vanished, allowing him to suck in air like a greedy newborn grub.

 _"Good."_

The hologram winked out, leaving Zind alone in the empty office trembling in his place.

A look of fear and disgust grew upon Zind's face. "Nute, you damn fool. What have you and the Board of Directors dragged us into now?"

* * *

 **Coruscant**

* * *

Darth Sidious, known by the public as Sheev Palpatine, meditated silently at the desk in his quarters. The guards had long since left him alone in his room, a polite form of imprisonment. Now they stood quite far outside of earshot, clearly violating their regulations. Sidious allowed a small grin to flash across his face. The Senate Guards were so easy to fool with just an ounce of effort put into clouding their minds. Eventually, he promised himself, he would have all of the guards loyal to him and him alone. But for now, the use of mental manipulation would suffice.

A miniscule device nestled beneath the skin of his clavicle, undetectable by any modern means, gave a small pulse that sent a slight tingle through his skin. Palpatine's eyebrow raised slightly. What could his master have wanted?

With just the slightest mental prompt, a small metal disc separated from a sculpture on his desk and floated towards the Sith, settling silently on the floor before him. He commanded filaments of his power to trickle through the disc, his eyes shifting yellow as he savored the rush of the Dark Side. Components inside the disc shifted, circuits took shape, and energy systems activated. Once fully operational, the disc hummed to life, a patchy blue hologram popping into existence.

Almost immediately the Sith Lord was hoisted into the air, an iron grip around his throat.

 _"Would you care to explain why the ships were directed to fly over Gungan territory, my apprentice?"_ Plagueis made no attempt to hide the anger in his voice. _"Or why the fighters crashed into Gungan sites, allowing the Gungans to recover them?" His tone grew in volume, and Palpatine's eyes widened, both from the revelation and from the pain. "Perhaps you would like to explain why the fighters did not crash land where the Naboo would be the first to find them?!"_

The force holding Palpatine lessened almost to the point of vanishing, allowing the man to steady his breathing. Swallowing, he attempted to respond.

"Master, I-I swear that I did not know that the Gungans would respond so quickly, I only-"

The chokehold strengthened briefly. _"You only what? Tell me what was so important that you overruled my express orders and had the flight plan changed!"_

As the hold faded for a second time, Palpatine choked out a response. "I only thought that perhaps bringing the Gungans into conflict with the Naboo would, guh, make the situation more believable when the Queen made her appeal to the Senate! I swear I only had our best interests at heart!"

For a painstakingly long moment, the only sound in the room was that of the elder Sith's respirator. Glowing eyes of sulfur met. One set of hisses passed. Another set. One final set.

 _"You had best make sure that Dedre plays his part perfectly. If the workings of generations of Sith come to naught due to your mistakes, your punishment will be most severe."_ Plagueis ground out, his tone piercing Palpatine's mind. _"Have I made myself clear, apprentice?"_

Palpatine nodded as best he could while suspended by the throat. "Yes, my master. Perfectly clear!"

Darth Plagueis' eyes narrowed. _"Good."_ The hologram faded away, and Palpatine fell unceremoniously to the ground.

Coughing, the shaken apprentice made to stand as he massaged his throat. "One day." He muttered.

Once he had recovered, he summoned the disc to himself again, and sent a command through it, activating a one-way broadcast. Now all that was left to do was wait for Dedre to respond and update him with the status of the plan.

* * *

 **Naboo**

* * *

" … and dats how Mesa came to be banished." The bubbly voice of a Gungan filled the interior of the transport. Jar Jar, he called himself. Obi-Wan snuck a glance at his master, but Qui-Gon's face betrayed nothing. He could have been annoyed or amused for all Obi-Wan knew. As for himself, he was finding this fellow an excellent test of patience, but rather harmless and friendly. From his story, it seemed that this Gungan wasn't so much their guide, but rather another person that the Gungan leadership wanted gone.

"That's very fascinating, but can you tell us when we will reach the Naboo?" Obi-Wan tried to keep the impatience out of his tone. "The trip had had far too many detours for his liking; the total travel time had been more than enough for the heal-packs to completely heal the wounds of the Jedi.

It didn't seem as if Jar Jar noticed his impatience. "Wesa goen see Theed berry, berry-"

A series of beeps from the dashboard interrupted him.

Obi-Wan glanced at the indicator lights on the dashboard. They were about to break the surface, but there was something else. He felt as much, a tendril of emotion briefly touching his consciousness before fading away.

"Master, there's something wrong." Obi-Wan blinked. Was that fear he sensed?

"Indeed," Qui-Gon murmured. "We must be cautious."

The transport burst out of the water at a small pier that connected to the harbor of Theed, with multiple ships more costly and advanced than the admittedly meager one provided to them by the Gungans. But that wasn't what caught Obi-Wan's attention, however; he noticed that the harbor had all but been deserted. Not a single soul could be seen walking along the duracrete walkway connecting to the pier, or could be seen manning the ships that were anchored to port. The entire harbor had an unsettling vibe that sent a chill up Obi-Wan's spine. A quick glance towards Qui-Gon saw that the Jedi Master's own feelings were similar to his.

"The entire harbor's been deserted," Obi-Wan softly said. "I can't sense anything nearby at the moment."

"Neither can I." Qui-Gon lifted himself up off his seat and grasped at the wooden pier, and hauled himself up onto its soggy decks. "Come, we can make for the palace in just a few-"

"Lookie dere!" Jar-Jar's originally bubbly voice was now laden with obvious amounts of pure terror. Obi-Wan followed his webbed finger, and felt his heart drop into his stomach at the sight of what must have been dozens of Vulture droids soaring through the clear blue skies above the city. The Trade Federation had begun to retaliate against the Naboo.

"Sithspit," Qui-Gon cursed, lending down a hand to pull Obi-Wan up on the deck. As soon as his student clamored onto the pier, he bent down again to pull the blubbering Gungan up, ignoring the cries coming from the native at the sight of smoke rising up in the sky. "It seems that the negotiations must have been rather short without us. If we are to resolve this, we must get to the Royal Palace as quickly as we can. Which means no delays." He sent a pointed look to the Gungan, who swallowed and nodded, remembering the time it took for them to get here by avoiding all sorts of dangerous sea creatures.

"But Master, what about civilians?" Obi-Wan asked. When Qui-Gon remained silent, a look of nausea bloomed on the Padawan's face. "Master... you can't be serious. We can't just abandon them!"

"We're not abandoning them, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon sternly reprimanded Obi-Wan, who fell silent. "Trying to save them now would only result in the continuation of this conflict. As Jedi, we have to focus on the bigger picture. If we can contact Coruscant and inform them of our survival, the Senate may be forced to intervene more strongly. But until then, you must keep your thoughts in the here and now."

Obi-Wan looked down, softly saying, "Yes, I understand, Master."

Qui-Gon's eyes softened a little, but his face retained the same blank look. "Call upon your teachings, Obi-Wan. They're all we Jedi have to help us move on in these ever-growing dark times. I must admit, I am rather at a loss myself trying to figure out why the Naboo attacked our ship with fighters that had dead pilots in the cockpits."

Obi-Wan blinked in surprise, but said nothing as the strange trio of two humans and a Gungan began jogging towards the ornate palace.

* * *

The occupation had reached full force rather rapidly with the lack of resistance that the Naboo displayed. Queen Amidala stood transfixed at the palace windows as Trade Federation forces marched across the streets of Theed. Behind her stood Captain Panaka, his concern plain on his face.

From her position next to the window, she could only look on somberly at the chaos that now swarmed across the beautiful city of Theed; Vulture Droids swooped around the sky in circles, landing atop buildings when no sign of resistance could be seen. Battle droids standing guard outside homes, all the while ignoring the nervous garrison soldiers. Tanks now patrolled around the palace, securing a place for where the Trade Federation delegates were now landing in a ship horrendously designed as an over-bloated roach.

She and the others waited anxiously for the delegates to arrive, waiting what felt like an eternity for the Neimoidians to navigate their way through the expansive palace. The Trade Federation representatives eventually arrived at the throne room, resulting a palpable glare of anger from Panaka, who was staring daggers at the black-robed and green-skinned beings.

The Federation member with the grandest cap stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Your Highness Queen Amidala, I am Rune Haako, ambassador of the Trade Federation. We have evidence that indicates your people's involvement in the assassinations of Viceroy Nute Gunray and the Jedi Ambassadors sent to help decide a settlement over the sums of the unpaid shipping fees between our two parties. Let it be known that our representatives in the Senate has already brought the matter forward to the Supreme Chancellor, who has issued a state of martial law effective immediately. As of right now, you are no longer the legal governing head of Naboo."

"I hear your words clearly, ambassador, but I don't hear any truth behind them." Amidala coldly stated. "My people has committed no crimes against either the Trade Federation or the Jedi Order."

If her words bothered Haako, he did not show it. ""The fact remains that we have evidence of your fighters attacking the diplomatic envoy. In light of this, we are grateful that you did not see fit to resist our lawful response here, Your Highness. Once word of this reaches the Senate, I'm sure that Naboo's reputation will not suffer any additional penalties from this debacle."

Amidala's eyes hardened into orbs of ice-cold steel. "The people of Naboo will not forget this day, Ambassador. Our justice will be swift and without mercy when the truths of your actions come to light."

"Perhaps some time alone will give you'll of the time that you need to come to terms with your new situation." Haako turned and motioned for a squad to come forward. "Sergeant, take the Queen to a more secure position in the palace. See that she is comfortable and prepared to receive an audience shortly."

"Roger, roger." The commanding droid, designated by its yellow-painted spots on its cranium and shoulder pads and the center of its chest, intoned whilst stepping forward with the rest of its troops. The cabinet members started trembling in place, being forced aside when they tried pleading with the emotionless machines to leave her be.

Amidala did not resist as the battle droid sergeant and two of its subordinates began to lead her out of the throne room, but she did manage to listen in on one of the other Neimoidian delegates say, "And what of the others, Rune? We can't have loyalists to the queen inciting revolt among the people."

A chill went up her spine at the cold response she heard from Haako, "Take them to the palace's garden complex and wait for further instructions. I will-" She passed out of earshot at that point.

Queen Amidala closed her eyes and bowed her head, wondering just what could possibly be going on. This seemed to be nothing more than a large-scale economic play by the Federation, but if that were true, why would the Gungans be involved? And why were their own N-1 fighters the ones that had escalated this conflict in the first place? Nothing made sense.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **StormEyeDragon here. Welcome new readers, and please thank Transformer g1's-Prime for joining up and taking up the reins for Tragedy of Anakin. A bit of advice for old readers: My profile contains quite a bit of info about this Saga, including the first story in the timeline. (The Saga Begins Anew).**

 **Old readers, please give Transformer g1's-Prime a chance, it's not like they'll just throw away everything that I had planned. They are as much a fan of this as any of you, and have this Saga's best interest at heart from what I can tell. On that note, if any of you reading also want to join up and write for this Saga, just PM me, and let's see if we can work something out. - StormEyeDragon**

 **If you have any questions about this new Saga PM me or visit StormEyeDragon's Profile.**

 **If you wish to follow the entire Saga as it comes out, a community is set up that the stories are a part of. Following the community may make it easier to follow the Saga as a whole. See StormEyeDragon's profile for the Community.**

 **Dooku never got an official first name in Canon or Legends, so we gave him one, but don't worry, we're going to keep referring to him as Dooku or Darth Tyranus.**

 **We have also decided to start called lightsaber forms by their Roman numerals. One is I, two is II, and so on.**

 **And yes, Jar Jar exists. As he's in Clone Wars, which is considered tentatively canon to this Saga, we can't just get rid of him despite what some people may want. But, we think we can make it so people won't hate his contributions to the story.**

Here's the disclaimer. We do not own anything that is officially part of Star Wars, Legends or Canon. We do not claim ownership of any of the property of Lucasfilm, Disney, or any published authors. We are not making any money from this story.


	4. Escape From Paradise

Escape from Paradise

* * *

 **Naboo**

* * *

The journey to the Royal Palace was tense, to say the least. The two Jedi and their Gungan escort made their way through the city of Theed, taking short-cuts through alleyways and backstreets to avoid the squads of battle droids and their tank escorts patrolling the now-silent city as civilians are confined in their houses, staring helplessly out their windows at the foreign invaders that have flooded into the city. The droids, while great in numbers, were also very poor detectors as the trio managed to avoid the dozens of battle droid squads and their squatting tanks that packs enough firepower to bring down an entire building.

After what felt like an eternity, the trio arrived at the Royal Palace now populated by circles of civilian workers for the palace spread out all over the courtyard, each one of them shaking as the Trade Federation delegates and their battle droids casually walked inside the halls of where their beloved queen resides. Obi-Wan grit his teeth at the feelings of helplessness he could feel through the Force, as he slowly reaches down towards the lightsaber hanging off his belt-

-only to be calmed by the steady hand of Qui-Gon Jinn being placed on his shoulder, anchoring him to the teachings of the Jedi. "Steady yourself, Obi-Wan," he softly said. "Risking your life in a fool-hardy gambit to save the palace workers will only draw more presence on us. We must focus on rescuing the queen at the moment."

Obi-Wan exhaled, stifling his trembling hands. "Understood, Master." He craned his head past the scene, ignoring the feelings that polluted him like some foul stench in the air. "Look, over there." He gestured to a wide area on the side of the palace, covered in various amounts exotic flora that provided a dazzling array of colors contrasting with the palace's golden-brown colors.

"Excellent observation, my Padawan." Qui-Gon complemented, an amused smile forming on his lips. "Quickly, while the coast is still clear."

* * *

The sergeant and the battle droids under its command led the group of Naboo denizens along the pristine palace halls. They made a left, and made their way downward a spiraling staircase that held two thick doors carved from Laroon wood which was the doorway to the palace's garden center. A place of refined beauty and nature combined into one neat little package; a memorial to the culture of the Naboo.

No one spoke. Even the cabinet members had gone silent, their once-fearful faces now one of blank resignation as they were led to the heart of the garden by the droids. Their footfalls stopped as the battle droid sergeant held up a hand to cease movement, which its subordinates easily obeyed.

The sergeant spun on one heel, servos whirring and clicking as it faced the assembled Naboo. Reaching at its side, the droid prepared to activate its communicator.

"'Ello dere!"

The droids and their prisoners turned their heads to the source of that voice, only to be dumbfounded at the sight of a floppy-eared Gungan jogging over to them with a dopey grin on its face. The grin quickly fades away when the sergeant motions towards its way, and the Gungan finds four blasters pointed right at him, primed to fire. "Identify yourself," the sergeant asked, analyzing the Gungan for any out-of-place movements that might designate it as hostile.

"Um," the Gungan swallowed, nervously eyeing the guns pointed at him. "Mesa called Jar-Jar Binks... mesa here to talk aboot de mechanics in city."

"The city of Theed is under lockdown," the sergeant stated. "All citizens are to placed under house arrest, or restricted to holding zones. What is your designated camp?"

Jar-Jar blinked. "Designate?"

The sergeant obviously had enough, as it pointed a skeletal finger at Jar-Jar and said, "Seize him."

"Wait! Mesa had something else to tell yousa," the Gungan exclaimed, comically scratching his head for emphasis. "What was mesa called again... er, destination? No, thatsa not it."

The four droids walked forward, blasters now lowered to their hips, when suddenly-

Snap-hiss...

The four droids walking forward to the Gungan suddenly stumbled, and fell down to the ground with heavy thuds. Behind them, their cone-shaped heads sizzled out sparks with the lights in their optics dying out.

Another sound, similar to the first, was then heard followed by what could best be described by the sergeant's audio receptors as the sound of metal being melted down. It turned around to see one of the droids holding Panaka suddenly split in half, and an older human with a grey beard and dressed in ceremonial robes take its place. In the man's hand was some kind of blade, emitting a meter of plasma the color of the plants that surrounded them. With a flick of the wrist, the man sliced off the arms of the other droid holding Panaka, before grasping the hilt of his blade with both hands and impaling the droid through its chasis.

The sergeant turned around to where the remaining members of its squad were stationed, only to find a younger human with a blue blade standing over the destroyed remains of its soldiers. With a wry smile, the younger human raised its blade in a mock salute to the droid sergeant, the blade vanishing as he did so.

"Oh! Mesa remember now!" the Gungan's voice made the sergeant turn around, only to find Jar-Jar standing before it with a smug-like grin, "Mesa called a distraction!"

The elder Jedi strode towards the lone droid, stopping perhaps a pace short, replacing his now inactive weapon on his hip. "Are you capable of communicating with your superiors?"

The sergeant froze, algorithms in its artificial brain attempting to determine the best course of action.

Suddenly realizing where they were, the garrison soldiers scrambled for their fallen captors' weapons, realizing that there were only ten blasters and around twenty of them. The ones with blasters took defensive positions between the cabinet members and the remaining droid. The younger Jedi quickly drew close to them and held up a hand. "Wait."

The sergeant came to a decision. It removed the communicator from its place, held it facing the Jedi, and activated it.

A small hologram of Captain Srevmo winked into existence facing the Jedi. _"Sergeant, am I to assume that the Queen's cabinet is ready for- uh…"_

The elder Jedi smiled. "Captain Srevmo, it is nice to see you again. I don't think we were properly introduced before. My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, ambassador of the Republic. I do apologize for the destruction of your security droids, but they were uncooperative in our request of releasing the prisoners."

The Neimoidian's pale-green face flushed into a sickly pink color, as he choked out, _"J-J-Jedi!"_ he screeched. _"I thought- you're supposed to be..."_

"Dead?" Qui-Gon quirked an eyebrow. "Afraid not. Sad to say that once word of an attempt on the life of two Jedi Ambassadors reaches the Senate, your organization won't survive the political backlash from such an event."

 _"It doesn't matter!"_ Srevmo snapped, gaining some confidence in his demeanor. _"The entire city is occupied by Federation troops, and our blockade is surrounding all spaceports on the planet. You have no way into Republic space, Jedi, so enjoy what little free time you have left. Sergeant, execute him!"_ The hologram winked off, leaving Qui-Gon frowning at it in bemusement.

When he looked up, he saw the droid raise his blaster up to Qui-Gon's face, ready to fire, but a quick flick of Qui-Gon's hand unleashed a burst of emerald fire that sliced the droid in two.

"Well," Obi-Wan commented, walking over next to his Master. "That went better than anticipated."

"Indeed," the elder Jedi deactivated his blade, and turned to face the Naboo prisoners. "Are you people alright?"

"We are, thank you." Sio Bibble brushed the dew off his robes and turned to face Qui-Gon. "I take it that you two are the ambassadors that the Republic sent here?"

"Yes," Qui-Gon nodded in affirmation. "Yes, we are. I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and this is my Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. Accompanying us is our Gungan guide, Jar-Jar Binks."

"'Ello!" The Gungan chirped brightly, while Obi-Wan politely nodded towards the governor.

"Well, it seems as though your investigation didn't go as smoothly you hoped, Jedi." Panaka commented over his shoulder, now branding the droid sergeant's blaster. "The Trade Federation believes that we had a hand in assassinating their viceroy, and you two. They've placed the entire planet in a state of martial law, per approval by the Senate, and they've imprisoned the queen somewhere in the palace."

"Then we better hop to it then," Qui-Gon said, looking towards the bemused Bibble. "Tell me, are you some kind adviser to her royal highness?"

Bibble shook his head, "I am the planetary governor, Master Jedi. I do advise the queen on some aspects, but her word is law here."

"I see," Qui-Gon turned to face the other cabinet members. "And you three would be...?"

"Prime Councilor."

"Assistant Manager of Internal Affairs."

"Political and Economic Adviser."

Politicians, Qui-Gon reflected. While not as important as the governor, they each had their own important role to play in this society. The Jedi Master turned back to Bibble, asking him, "Do you know where in the palace they could've taken the queen? Perhaps some kind of cell chamber or anything along those lines?"

"Preposterous!" Bibble exclaimed, a look of anger in his eyes. "The palace hasn't had any kind of jail cells in these halls for the past three hundred years!"

Obi-Wan coughed, trying his best to hide his grin but Qui-Gon could feel his amusement through their Master-Padawan bond.

"Is there some kind of room that the queen could be held in, then?" Qui-Gon patiently asked, frowning when the governor and the other cabinet members shook their heads in dejection. Closing his eyes, he stretched out his senses to get a feeling of the entire palace; he could sense all living beings in the garden center right now. The governor's nervousness, the Naboo captain and his soldiers' silent fury, the handmaidens' unease, Obi-Wan's calm composure, he could feel it but couldn't experience it. He stretched his senses out further, exploring the halls of the palace and feeling the anxiety and worries of the Neimoidian delegates that roam the halls scarred by battle. Going higher past them, Qui-Gon found nothing until he came across a person with feelings of resolve, pride, sadness, and anger being moved in the upper parts of the palace at an unusually fast pace.

Qui-Gon opened his eyes, "I seem to have found her."

"You have?" Bibble gasped. "Where?"

The Jedi Master merely pointed upwards, to the highest point of the palace where the sun shined brightly down on them. A spark of recognition appeared in Bibble's eyes, "They must have taken her highness to her bedchambers. There's no other place I can think of to keep her at."

Qui-Gon pursed his lips. "Then we haven't much time to waste. Do your people have transports?"

Panaka nodded, "Yes, but just one. The queen's personal yacht in the eastern hanger bay. Granted, it isn't anything like a Jedi attack fighter but it's our only chance of escaping this place."

Qui-Gon turned to face Obi-Wan, who immediately straightened when his master's piercing gaze fell upon him. "Obi-Wan, I will lead these people to the hanger bay and secure our way of escape. Your mission is to infiltrate the palace, and rescue the queen at all costs. Try to avoid confrontations, but be on-guard should the situation calls for it."

"I understand, Master." He bowed towards his teacher, who bowed back. "May the Force be with you."

"And with you, my young Padawan." Qui-Gon replied.

As Obi-Wan began jogging towards the doorway back into the palace, Bibble stepped forward and asked Qui-Gon, "Forgive me, Master Jedi, but why send your student to rescue the queen? Surely your skills would be far more prudent than his, and more reliable to her rescue."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "I may be more experienced, but age has slowed down my natural movements and I would only be bringing more harm on myself and the queen if I were the one to rescue her. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, has learned from my teachings and will be sufficient enough to rescue the queen. In the meantime," he spun to meet the gaze of Captain Panaka. "I believe we should get moving before more security droids arrive."

Panaka nodded, "Agreed. Follow me, I know the quickest way to the hanger."

* * *

Queen Amidala stared daggers at the battle droid sergeant and its subordinate standing guard inside her bedchambers, feeling like a child being grounded by their parents for disobeying the rules. After escorting her and indicating that she sit at her desk, the battle droid pair had taken to standing at her sides.

Her eyes flickered to the small statue at her bedside. Sunaj, the trickster god, housed a small blaster pistol in the case of an emergency. Was it worth the risk to try and grab it? She would need space to move, which she lacked at the moment.

A chirping noise broke the silence, and the sergeant unhooked the small holographic disk from its body and held it out in front of itself.

After a moment, the disk projected the small blue image of Captain Srevmo. _"Sergeant, have your troops secured the queen in her quarters?"_

The sergeant nodded, "Affirmative."

 _"Good, let me speak to her."_

The sergeant turned the disk around so that Padme could stare into the worm-like face of the captain, who smiled politely at the queen. _"Ah, there you are. I hope the surroundings to your liking, Your Majesty?"_

"Spare me the courtesy, captain," Amidala said, narrowing her eyes. "If you're going to treat me like a prisoner, then you can do away with this false pretense that you and your Federation allies are projecting of a 'peaceful' occupation of my people."

The smile didn't fade. _"Your passion is truly inspiring, Queen Amidala. It shows greatly in your people, particularly the pilots that were, gifted to us, two standard days ago. They were quite loyal."_

Amidala just stared, feeling a slight chill creep up her spine despite the will to quell it. "The pilots that were gifted to you?" she echoed mechanically.

She thought back to a complaint filed by the Royal Air Base stationed in Harte Secur, citing how several of their pilots had gone missing during a routine patrol in the southern hemisphere and foul play by the Federation had been suspected. She had put it behind her at the time, assigning the claim to be investigated by First Lieutenant Typho while she focused on talks with Senator Palpatine and Representative Dedre on the arrival of the Jedi Ambassadors. But now?

Now things started to make sense. "You monsters," she growled, her monotone voice giving away to a wave of anger. "You dare to kidnap and use my people as tools in your insidious plot, and for what? Control over a little planet? Your superior betrayed by his own underling? The deaths of Jedi Ambassadors?" She failed to notice the slight pink tinge on Srevmo's cheeks when she mentioned the Jedi. "I swear to you, captain, that word of your vile acts will reach the Senate, and you will reap the consequences of your actions."

Srevmo chuckled, and Amidala wasn't sure if it was because of the reception that made it seem like his laugh was shaky. _"The Senate, good one. You still don't grasp the full situation here, Your Highness. Let me illuminate you."_ Srevmo made a motion with his hand, and the hologram wavered. Srevmo's image faded away and was replaced by an impossible image.

Amidala blinked, her mind racing to reconcile the sight before her. "You-"

 _"Faked my own death. Glorious, yes?"_ Gunray's arrogant smirk was evident even though the flickering image.

 _"I really must thank you, Your Highness,"_ Gunray continued. _"If you had kept a closer eye on your Representative, we might not have been able to bribe him into helping us."_

Amidala's eyes widened. "Dedre betrayed us? For what price?"

 _"Thirty million credits. Quite a hefty sum, I must admit. But, even a Lucrehulk costs more than that, and compared to what we stand to gain off of your plasma reserves?"_ Greed danced in Gunray's eyes. _"A mere handful of credits is worth spending if it means a guaranteed fortune. Now, if you'll excuse me, I do believe that Captain Srevmo can handle things from here."_

The hologram shifted again, and Srevmo reappeared.

Amidala opened her mouth for a retort, but was cut off by the sounds of blaster shots being fired from the sentry droids stationed outside her bedchambers and a very faint hum being heard which was then replaced with the sound of metal being melted down.

Srevmo began squawking at the sergeant for answers, who was already turning to the door with a blaster pistol aimed at its Oro wood-carved frame. Then, to Amidala's surprise and awe, the door opened up to usher in the smell of ozone being generated from a bar of blue plasma at least a meter tall.

A lightsaber.

And holding the legendary weapon was a handsome young man dressed in ambassadorial robes with cropped auburn hair, a clean-shaven chin, and grey-blue eyes dancing between amusement and determination.

"Hello there."

 _"Jedi!"_ Srevmo screeched. _"There's more of you?!"_

 _More of you,_ Amidala noted. _This one isn't the only Jedi wandering the palace halls._ The feeling of hope returned to her as the battle droid aimed focused its aim on the Jedi, who took his first steps inside the lofty room. The droid left Amidala's side and stood between her and the newcomer.

"Your troops have been destroyed, droid," the Jedi crisply said, lowering his blade to point its tip at the sergeant. "Surrender now, and I won't destroy you."

 _"Trying to barter with a droid, truly a Jedi move."_ Srevmo sardonically remarked, trying to mask his anxieties at the sight of the young man. _"Sergeant, shoot him!"_

A pair of shots rang out in short succession. The sergeant tumbled to the ground, headless. Its subordinate fell barely a moment holographic disk rolled to the hem of Amidala's robes, and she could still hear Srevmo's voice frantically speak, _"Sergeant? Sergeant, report! What's going on there?"_

Raising one foot, she crushed the disk under the heel of a rancor-leather boot.

She looked up to meet the gaze of the Jedi, who deactivated his blade and then bowed lowly to her. "Greetings, Your Highness. My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Jedi Order," his lips quirked up into a smile. "And I'm here to rescue you, though I do suppose you only needed a distraction?"

"Indeed, but the fact remains I'm in your debt, Obi-Wan Kenobi," she thanked the young Jedi, stepping over the headless sergeant and making for the door. "But now, we have little time. The Federation will be alerted to my rescue, and will send more guards to capture me and see you dead. If we hurry, we can make it to my personal yacht in the hangar before they can destroy it."

"You needn't worry, Your Highness," Obi-Wan said, beginning to jog alongside the queen. "My master is on his way to the hangar with members of your personal guard right now. By the time we make it there, the yacht will be ready to go."

Queen Amidala nodded, "Then we don't have to time to waste."

* * *

The group of Naboo natives led Qui-Gon and Jar Jar through the palace halls, taking great care to avoid the patrol groups of battle droids, who were still looking for any Naboo stragglers left unchecked during their seizing of the palace. After making it out of the palace, and into the Royal Plaza, Governor Bibble had deemed it necessary that he and the other cabinet members part ways with the group to spread word of the Jedi's survival, and the Queen's subsequent rescue to all remaining settlements on the planet. Qui-Gon tried to persuade him, but Bibble stood resolutely, refusing to give in.

Reluctantly—although he didn't agree with the governor's decision—Captain Panaka detached eight of his twenty-men platoon to escort Bibble and the cabinet members to a secret passageway near the Palace's west wing, which would lead them into the city's catacombs and out of a secret entrance built in at the edge of the Virdugo Plunge.

The two groups had parted ways awhile ago, and now the group that Qui-Gon was following now stood outside at the entrance to the Royal Hangar Bay, staring cautiously inside at the kneeling group of Naboo pilots being watched by what Qui-Gon estimates to be over thirty battle droids, their stances alert and battle-ready.

"There's too many droids in the hangar." Panaka said, dark eyes sweeping across the room. "There's no way we can take on an entire garrison of droids by ourselves."

"The droids won't be a problem," Qui-Gon stated. "Our main problem is making sure that one of the pilots is capable of flying the Queen's cruiser through the Federation's blockade."

Panaka and some of the others looked at the Jedi Master incredulously, not believing what they heard. "Master Qui-Gon," Panaka slowly said. "No offense to your reputation, but you can't be foolish enough to take on an entire garrison of battle droids, even with our help. We'd take some down with us, but we'd be slaughtered like cattle."

"Trust in the Force, Captain," emerald fire burned from the handle of Qui-Gon's blade. "And it will guide us to victory. Prepare yourselves."

Before Panaka could voice his complaints or ask Qui-Gon on what their plan of attack is, the Jedi Master moved into the hangar bay with long striding steps that soon turned into a sprinting charge towards two unsuspecting droids, who didn't even process the sound of Jinn's approaching bootfalls until it was too late. With a single swing, Qui-Gon decapitated the two droids, and drew the attention of the other droid and the pilots towards him.

"Intruder!" the garrison's commanding unit pointed a skeletal finger at Qui-Gon. "Blast him!"

Its head was then taken off by a well-placed shot from Panaka's blaster, who turned his fire onto the garrison of droids with his soldiers at his back, following their superior's actions.

Laser bolts lanced through the hangar from all directions, and new alarms blared wildly, no doubt the droids alerting their superiors to the intrusion in the hangar. Qui-Gon kept this in-mind, his grey hair swaying as he swiftly deflected another barrage of bolts fired his way, weaving his green blade in a Form II defense maneuver that he had learned during his tutelage under Master Dooku. Dooku had gone through great pains in teaching Jinn, the pair going through a hundred katas' per day. Despite his preference for the Aggression Form, Qui-Gon had inherited some Makashi techniques in his fighting style from Dooku, whom he constantly thanked for his teachings when he was thrown into a situation like this.

He dodged and deflected shots that could've ended his life had he been born without the knowledge and foresight that the Force allowed him to see, whilst he allowed the Force to guide his movements through the battle with complete confidence; for the Force was his ally, and he was one with the Force.

With speed that no mortal man his age should possess, Qui-Gon blitzed through the horde of battle droids, cutting through their skeletal bodies and destroying their weapons for future units to use for themselves. The Naboo, when the droids' focus was no longer on them, could only stare in awe at the old man who'd followed them through the palace, not believing that one so old could possess such powers that they've heard in the stuff of legends.

The sounds of battle died down, leaving only the sputtering sparks coming from the battle droids' remains and the hum of Qui-Gon's blade before it retracted back into itself. Qui-Gon let out a deep breath, wiping off the sweat that'd formed on his brow during the battle and frowned at it; he was getting old.

"Clear!" one of the Naboo guards called out after a few moments of scanning the room for any more droids. Panaka nodded in approval, and ordered for his men to free the pilots from their shackled spots on the ground.

"Yoosa bombad," Jar Jar told Qui-Gon, a look of awe still on his face. "Da gods have sent yoosa as a gift. Mebbe dere more to dat 'Forc-y' thing den mesa thought."

Qui-Gon smiled, placing a hand on the Gungan's shoulders. "Thank you for such kind words, my new friend. Maybe when all this chaos dies down, you and I can have a talk about the Force, if you're interested?"

"Yees!" Jar Jar cried out, a wide grin on his face. He opened his mouth to say something else when-

"Close the blast doors! Close the blast doors!"

Qui-Gon stiffened at the faraway voice, a female's he noted, while Panaka and the other soldiers spun around to the door where they came from with wide eyes. "It's the queen!" someone exclaimed, confirming Qui-Gon's suspicions.

As if on cue, both the young ruler and Obi-Wan came barreling in through the doors, both their clothes singed from blaster bolts and their bodies soaked with sweat. Obi-Wan had his blade out and ready, while the queen had a mini-pistol clenched firmly in her hand; with keen accuracy surprising of someone with her status, the queen placed a well-aimed shot at the door's console, destroying it and activating its emergency protocol.

The blast doors rumbled, before each door began moving towards the other and connected right as a squad of battle droids pursuing the two came right around the corner. The doors shut with a resolute bang.

"Your majesty!" Panaka rushed to his queen's side, watching in concern as she sucked in gulps of air to try and control her breathing. "You're safe, thank the gods. When the Federation separated you from us, we feared the worst-"

"We have no time for pleasantries, captain," the queen's voice held an unwavering iron tone in it. "The Federation is right outside that door, and will be more than willing to return us to their masters in chains. We need to get off-world immediately."

"She is right," Qui-Gon spoke up. "Right now is the best chance any of us have in escaping this planet; with any luck, the blockade still believes that their forces on-world has all ships in the royal palace under lockdown and won't be expecting an escape so soon."

"And our escape also means that your people may have a chance of surviving this invasion if her highness presents your case before the Senate." Obi-Wan added, wiping sweat from his brow.

The queen nodded. "You're both right," she then turned her gaze towards the group of pilots, now freed from their shackles. "Are any of you still capable of flying my cruiser, and its escort?"

"Yes, ma'am," a man with a receding hairline and a _very_ noticeable potbelly proclaimed, stepping forward and bowing to the young queen. "Bravo Squadron is ready to fly at your command."

A tired smile grew on the queen's lips, and her tone shifted to one of satisfaction. "Let's hope so, captain. We've only got one shot, so let's make it count."

* * *

Rune Haako was not having a good day. Ignoring the questionable morality of subjugating an entire world over a dispute about _shipping fees_ , he'd received word from Captain Srevmo that the Jedi were still alive and they had rescued not only the queen, but her entire cabinet right from under his nose. Sweat had begun to break out all over the Neimoidian's body, soaking his robes in a foul odor that made him want to vomit had he not been so overwhelmed with feelings of fear right now.

Fear not of reprisal from Srevmo or the still-alive Nute Gunray, but from the one who commands them: Darth Plagueis. If the stories he'd read as a child about the unforgiving nature of the Sith were true, than this day may be Haako's last.

"Has anyone heard from any patrols yet?" he cried, wishing that he could just find the deepest hole imaginable and hide.

Nearby, a communications officer jumped up from his seat and said, "They've found them! The droids have located the queen and her entourage's hiding spot!"

Haako counted his lucky stars and dashed over to the man. "Really, where? Where are they?" he exclaimed, not even bothering to hide his jumpy mood; he may be able to get out of this precarious scenario still in one piece after all.

"Hold on, sir..." the communications officer listened to the headpiece attached to his greenish-blue skin, before it suddenly drained into a dull lifeless grey a moment later. "Uh, sir... about the queen-"

"What? Is she-"

The roar could be heard from a mile away, and the vibrations made Haako's body shake in-place. He knew that sound all too well, being apart of the Federation's military branch, and turned around in time to look on as a gleaming silver yacht (accompanied by a whole _squadron_ of yellow chrome starfighters) soared across the air, and quickly ascended into the skies, and then past the clouds, and then-

-they were gone.

"The queen has stolen back her ship, sir," the communications officer weakly said in the dead silence that had followed the ships' escape.

With his back turned to them, no one noticed the look of relief that blossomed on Haako's face. _'I leave the rest to you, Srevmo.'_

* * *

"And we are clear!" Ric Olie cried out in jubilation, his cry being echoed by the other members of Bravo Squadron over the yacht's speakers. He allowed the celebrating to go on for awhile longer, before he broke it up. "Alright ladies, that's enough! We're not out of the woods just yet; we still got a whole blockade of these scumbags to get through, and we only got one shot at this. Is everybody ready?"

 _"Check."_

 _"Affirmative, sir."_

 _"We're ready when you are, cap'n!"_

"Alright, Bravo Squadron," Ric grinned devilishly at the approaching sight of the Trade Federation's blockade. "Let's give them hell!"

Listening from his spot in the corner, Obi-Wan couldn't help but comment, "He sure knows how to rouse a group, doesn't he, master?"

"A leader must always set an example for his followers, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said, folding his hands under the thick sleeves of his robes. "For if he was not willing to make the hard sacrifices for what he was fighting for, why should those under his command die for his unwillingness?"

Obi-Wan nodded, staring as Bravo Squadron formed a defensive perimeter around the yacht.

"Enemy fighters coming our way," Olie's copilot called out over the incisstant chirping of the ship's scanners.

"I see them! On my command, Bravos 3, 4, 5, and 6 will break formation and engage the enemy...ready...NOW!"

On cue, four Naboo ships broke off from their formation and blitzed toward the incoming swarm of Trade Federation droid Starfighters, leaving the rest of the squadron behind to reshape their defense around the queen's yacht. Green bolts of energy spat from the Naboo ships, hitting their marks and destroying the enemies that returned fire in kind. The yacht and its escort soon found itself being swarmed by the Vulture droids, whose red lances of death battered their shields to an alarming percentage.

A bright explosion came from the yacht's rearview, followed up by the speaker crackling out, _"We've lost Bravo 8!"_

Olie cursed, but kept the ship flying straight towards the blockade.

"Captain, shield generator is running at 50% and dropping fast! If we take anymore of this fire, she's gonna be dead in the water soon," the co-pilot said, worry creasing his features.

"Divert any spare power we have to those shields, and make it snappy!" Olie barked, jerking to the right to avoid a surprise shot from a Vulture that was soon taken out by one of the escorts. "These blasted bucket of bolts don't know when to give up."

A few moments later, another bright explosion occurred which was quickly followed up immediately by another. _"Bravos 4 and 6 are gone!"_ Qui-Gon closed his eyes in silent mourning for the lives lost to the Force.

"C'mon, just a few more minutes," Olie growled to himself, accelerating towards the blockade. By now, several of the battleships had turned in their position and were targeting their guns on the approaching escapees. After only a moment of preparation, dozens of red energy bursts were fired in their direction with some hitting both Naboo and droid Starfighters altogether.

"They're taking out their own ships?!" the co-pilot questioned in disbelief.

"Of course they are," Olie sneered angrily as each member of his squadron were picked off like flies. "They're only droids, not flesh-and-blood like us. No one gives a damn about losing a few droids."

"This is horrible," Obi-Wan whispered, his shoulders trembling with anger. Only Qui-Gon's calm hand steadied his temper, but that still didn't stop the young Jedi's thoughts from stewing inside his head.

The ship recoiled under a well-placed shot, and alarm klaxons began blaring all across the ship. "They've hit the shield generator!" Olie exclaimed. "Quick, activate the astromechs and send 'em out there!" The co-pilot did just that, flipping some switches and jabbing at a few buttons.

* * *

In the engine section of the yacht, the astromechs kept in storage were awoken upon activation and buzzed with excitement over being summoned by their masters. Their orders quickly filed through the databanks inside their core, and one-by-one, the astromechs formed a single-file line for the chute that would send them outside to fix the yacht's shield generator.

* * *

"The droids have made it outside," the co-pilot called out, before wincing at the sight of the first droid being blown to bits by a turbolaser shot.

"Let's hope they get that generator running, or we'll be turned to space-dust," Olie commented, before tapping at the headpiece again. "To the remainder of Bravo Squadron, form up and defend the queen's yacht. We're getting past this blockade, no matter what!"

 _"Copy that, sir."_

The Naboo ships, five of them remaining, formed a pentagon-shaped defensive position around the yacht. Their shields were down and their ammo almost gone, but they were still willing to fight and die for the queen and Naboo. The enemy blockade's barrage didn't let up, if anything, it only grew stronger as the escort skimmed across the hull of the first battleship. Even as the last of them were destroyed by the Federation, they never gave up nor hesitated in doing their duty, dying to give their homes a fighting chance.

* * *

Outside, the astromechs worked a frantic pace to repair the yacht's shield generator while being picked off one-by-one by the barrage. The droids worked tirelessly to fix the ship, tuning out of the sound of their companions being destroyed. They cut through slices, reprogrammed functions, and reconnected and fixed loose and damaged wires, all with impeccable timing.

After connection and welding the last piece back into place, one lone astromech allowed itself to give a momentary whoop of elation before getting blasted into smithereens.

* * *

"The droids did it!" Olie whooped, before punching the accelerator and rocketing away from the blockade. The battleships desperately tried aiming for the small yacht to disable its engines, but it was all for naught; their prey had gotten away.

Qui-Gon let out a sigh of relief as the sounds of bombardment faded away and took a moment to give his thanks to the brave souls who gave their lives to ensure their escape. _'May your souls become one with the Force.'_

Obi-Wan heard the thought through his and Qui-Gon's Force-bond and lowered his head with respect.

A moment later, the cockpit's door opened up, and Captain Panaka stepped through it. "Are we away?"

"We've just jumped to lightspeed, captain," Qui-Gon tried soothing, noting the man's tense posture.

"Good. We've had too many close calls today, and I want this ship getting her highness to Coruscant through the fastest means possible," Panaka opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by a groaning that resonated across the entire ship. "What in blazes?!"

"Hang on!" Olie bellowed, pulling back on the accelerator and bringing the yacht out of hyperspace. Immediately, alarms started flashing across the console, illuminating Olie and the co-pilots' faces.

Olie's face was when he spun to face the Jedi and Panaka. "We've got a problem. The hyperdrive took a hit during our escape."

"What?" Panaka exclaimed, stepping forward with Qui-Gon to glance at the pilot's console. On the console was a 3-D image of the yacht's hyperdrive, showing where the damage was and how bad. Though Qui-Gon was no mechanic, he knew it was serious by how tense the pilots were.

"See here," Olie said, pointing at the damaged area. "The motivator must've been hit during our escape. If we could, we'd patch it up soon, but all the astromechs were destroyed during the blockade run and there are no licensed engineers onboard. At this rate, we'll run out of fuel within hours."

Qui-Gon grimaced, as the ship continued shaking. Without coaxium, the fuel that makes hyperdrives run, they were doomed to be marooned in space if repairs weren't made. "And if that happens, any Federation scouts in the area will find us and re-capture the queen."

Olie nodded. "Exactly."

Panaka scowled. "We need to make repairs as soon as possible and as close to Coruscant as possible."

"We're on the wrong side of the planet for that, as per your decision," Qui-Gon pointed out. The ship shook again, and the Jedi steadied himself before continuing.

"We are closest to a hyper lane facing Hutt Space. For all the dangers that it presents, I believe traveling there for a short while will be our best chance for making it to Coruscant in the long run."

Panaka blinked, his face tensing even further. "The Hutts? They're criminals, gangsters even! We can't take her majesty into their territory! It's full of bounty hunters!"

"The best bounty hunters will be in the employ of the Hutts, who won't even be aware of who she is." The Jedi turned to his apprentice. "Obi-Wan, search the navicomputer for a planet that will be suitable for both hiding and repairing the hyperdrive."

Obi-Wan nodded, and did just that; after a few minutes of scouring the systems, and weighing the options of each one he looked at, Obi-Wan leaned back in his seat and announced, "I found one, Master. Tatooine. It's a small desert planet out in the Outer Rim, mostly poor and ignored by all."

"A good place for one to go when seeking anonymity," Qui-Gon nodded his approval and turned to face Panaka. "Well, captain, we shall inform the queen of our new destination together."

The dark-skinned man flared his nostrils but didn't say anything else. He merely spun on his heel and stormed out of the cockpit in obvious anger.

"He seems a little on edge," Obi-Wan commented.

"Do not make light of the situation, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon reprimanded, folding his arms into his sleeves. "The captain has a right to be wary, after all. The Hutts are too powerful for both the Federation and the Republic to cross into their territory. Even Jedi are targeted if the slightest whisper of our presence reaches the Hutt Clans' domain."

Obi-Wan bowed his head, flushed with embarrassment. "Forgive me, Master, I didn't mean no offense to the captain."

Qui-Gon's face softened, and he laid a hand on his padawan's shoulder. "It is only natural for people to use humor as a means of coping, but there are a time and a place for such acts. Right now, we can take no chances this deep in uncharted space. We must be cautious."

* * *

"Well, captain, have you ensured that our plans are still in motion?" Darth Plagueis demanded in a low tone, not one to be invoked lightly.

Even as a hologram, Plagueis could see the sweat on Srevmo's brow and resisted the urge to scoff in disgust. _"Indeed, Lord Plagueis. As to your demands, we have scared the queen off-world with her entourage, and our security droids captured her councilors trying to leave the city. All of them gave similar accounts of the same story."_

"Good. And what of the Jedi, have your troops found them yet?"

 _"Ah, well... I'm afraid that the queen was able to escape our grasp through the Jedi."_ Srevmo said hesitantly. _"They destroyed many of our battle droids and stole the queen's yacht to blast their way past our blockade."_

Plagueis's eyes narrowed in displeasure, ignoring the whispers of the dark side demanding he punish the Neimoidian for his failure. Despite Qui-Gon Jinn's survival, Plagueis knew that the Jedi had no idea how deep the Federation's ties to the Sith were, thanks to careful planning on the Sith Lord's part.

"Count your blessings, captain, that the queen's survival and escape took higher precedence over the Jedi's deaths. Rest assured that you will live to see another day. But if your failure to eliminate the Jedi jeopardizes our plans in the future, I will personally see to your end. Understood?"

 _"Y-y-yes, Lord Plagueis!"_ the Neimodian croaked like the frog he was before cutting the transmission, amusing the Dark Lord. But now was not the time for laughs, Plagueis reflected. The next part of fulfilling the Grand Plan was about to begin.

When the Naboo party arrives on Coruscant, the young queen will be in hysterics over the unlawful subjugation of her planet and her pleas will be beneficial in displaying the faults of Chancellor Valorum's leadership. For all their bloated incompetence, the Senate will be quick to remove Valorum from office by the queen's tears and Palpatine's silver tongue. And with the queen's knowledge of Dedre's deal with the Trade Federation, he'll be outed and made a pariah among his peers for selling his people out for a few credits.

With the galaxy focused on Naboo, Palpatine will use his planet's plight to rally the worlds against the Trade Federation's power. While in the shadows, Plagueis will make good use of several interest groups with ties to Damask Holdings to sponsor Palpatine's campaign.

And with enough support backing him, Palpatine will run for office at the next election, using the Naboo crisis as a platform to gather sympathy from citizens and senators for his cause. Even without his precognition of the dark side, Plagueis knew that Palpatine's victory was all but assured and, by extension, the Sith's. Once in office, Palpatine will use the powers of the Supreme Chancellor to appoint Plagueis as Co-Chancellor, a position not practiced since the ancient Sith Wars.

And from there, it is only a matter of time and patience for the Sith Lords to trigger the war that will reshape the galaxy in their image and bring about the final destruction of the Jedi Order.

 _'For a thousand years, we've waited. Watching you bask from your cradle of power as the shadows clouded your vision,'_ Plagueis thought with a sharp smile, hidden by his transpirator. _'Enjoy your tenuous rule for now. The Sith will have their revenge and you will fall, along with your Republic.'_

Plagueis went on to read the reports sent to him from Srevmo, analyzing every detail the captain wrote down; the occupation of the capital went off without any resistance, the native Gungans migrating to the swamplands, and the queen's escape by the Jedi's assistance. Everything was on-point until he reached the end and saw a problem.

The Naboo had escaped the planet through the south pole, not the north pole. The south pole would take them further into the Outer Rim, near the borders of Hutt Space.

Near Tatooine, where his _experiment_ was carefully kept away from the Jedi's notice.

"That fool." Plagueis cursed, balling his hands into fists at Srevmo's incompetence. He swore to himself he would correct his leniency the next time he contacts the Federation blockade over Naboo.

This wasn't good, not good at all. He had spent over a decade keeping the Jedi's attention, as well as his own apprentice's, away from his Chosen One to ensure the future of the Sith. But now, all of that may be done if the Jedi senses the boy's latent potential in the Force. Even now, light years away from Tatooine, he can sense the boy's presence like it was a beacon in the dark.

 _'If Jinn finds the boy, then all of my plans for the boy will be brought to ruin. He will become our destruction, rather than pave the way for our ascension.'_ Plagueis drummed his fingers on his desk, his Muun mind racing through several scenarios per second on how to deal with this problem.

He couldn't risk going himself, as his disappearance would rouse Palpatine's suspicions. And he couldn't send Palpatine and risk him discovering the boy himself; he'd either kill him on the spot or take him under his wing as a shadow apprentice. He could send Maul to capture the boy but risk the Zabrak encountering Jinn and his padawan. For all his uses, Maul has shown a hunger to test his skills against more Jedi, especially after his performance against the two Jedi on Doyavu.

Plagueis growled, the sound coming out as a low hum through his transpirator. "If worse comes to pass, I'll send Maul to deal with the Jedi. He should be more than a match for the two."

For some reason, that made him feel less assured than he already was.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Like we said last chapter, we're still letting Jar Jar be apart of the main story because of his role in TCW. He won't be as prevalent as he was in the original TPM, but he will have a moment of screen time here and there. Just don't expect him to be tagging along with Jinn and crew while on Tatooine.**

 **Darth Plagueis is getting restless; with Qui-Gon close to Anakin, all his plans for the future will be jeopardized if the latter becomes a member of the Jedi Order. We also see more of Plagueis's sneaky side by the fact that not even Palpatine knows about Anakin (which is reasonable, as Palps would probably turn a young Anakin into a more powerful Darth Maul if he got hold of him as a baby).**

 **Hope you enjoyed the escape from Naboo, as we wanted to show that, even though it was planned for them to escape, the Federation had to keep up appearances less they invoke the Sith's wrath. After all, it would suck if something were to happen to the person who could tip the scales in the Sith' favor in politics.**

And here's the disclaimer. We do not own anything that is officially part of Star Wars, Legends or Canon. We do not claim ownership of any of the property of Lucasfilm, Disney, or any published authors. We are not making any money from this story.


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